


The Wolf Prince

by LadyBee



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Beauty and the Beast Elements, Curses, F/M, Magic, Shapeshifting, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-10-08 14:27:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 34,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10388811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyBee/pseuds/LadyBee
Summary: “I would start this story with a ‘once upon a time’, but this is no fairy tale. Although there is magic to a certain degree, I doubt that you’ll find the prince charming, or even the maiden pretty. This is a story about a doomed love, a curse, and all the innocents that lived enough to pay the price.”





	1. Prologue

_ “I would start this story with a ‘once upon a time’, but this is no fairy tale. Although there is magic to a certain degree, I doubt that you’ll find the prince charming, or even the maiden pretty. This is a story about a doomed love, a curse, and all the innocents that lived enough to pay the price.” _

_ When Old Nan first told her this dark tale, Arya had been little more than a girl, with two brothers and one sister all sitting near her to hear another story. _

_ Old Nan was as old as the heart tree and the castle itself. She had seen the death of the last giant and the dragons flying. She had seen direwolves and the Blood Raven. She had seen the Children of the Forest and the arrival of the First Man, or so she would tell anyone who might listen. _

_ That night she chose to tell a different tale. One about a forbidden love between a Dragon Prince and a Wolf Lady. According to her, the lovers had been cursed by a Mad King that promised that they would never know happiness, nor would the country if they stayed together. _

_ The Dragon Prince ignored his mad father and ran away with his lady love to a secret place. The war raged all over the country because of the curse, but the Prince was convinced that love would conquer all. It was only when the lady’s father and older brother were killed by the Mad King that the Dragon Prince realized that maybe the curse was something very real. The war raged all over the country and the Prince feared for his lady and his people. _

_ He reunited his army and marched to put an end to the war, leaving behind the lady who was with child. The Dragon Prince died at the war and the lady died in childbirth, leaving behind a country in ruins. _

_ Old Nan felt silent for a while and at this point all of Arya’s siblings were already sleeping. That had annoyed her. What happened to the Mad King? What happened to the war? What about the lady’s baby? _

_ “Did the baby die?” She finally asked nanny who sighted as if she was sad about something. _

_ “The curse followed the baby. After the Mad King died another king took the throne and sworn to kill anyone from the blood of the Dragon Prince. To protect the baby, one of the lady’s brothers took him to a secret place where he could be safe when the effects of the curse started.” _

_ “What effects?” She insisted. _

_ “He turns into a white wolf at the first light of day and human when the moon rises.” Old Nan told her. “He lives in a castle made of ice with only a crow to keep him company.” _

_ “Isn’t him lonely?” Arya kept asking. “Shouldn’t he be the new king?” _

_ “He might be one day, if he breaks the curse.” Old Nan answered with a sober tone. “He might become a man, claim his throne and save the realm.” _

_ “How can he break the curse?” Old Nan smiled lightly at her question. _

_ “Love. The answer is always true love, child. But you must never tell your lord father about this story. It was not meant for the ears of little ladies and lords. Never tell about it to anyone or you’ll be cursed too.” _

_ Those words have haunted her mind for years and Arya would constantly think about the prince hidden in a castle made of ice. She wondered if he would ever find someone to love him so the curse would be broken. _

_ It was only when she was older that Arya realized that she had heard that story in another way. The character had different names and the end wasn’t the same. She recognized the Dragon Prince as Prince Rhaegar and the lady as her aunt Lyanna, but the master never said that they had a child. Arya wanted to ask to her father if Old Nan’s story was true. If there was a curse and a lost prince in a frozen castle, but she couldn’t break her promise and risk being cursed too. In the end Arya forced herself to forget about that tale and live her life without any thoughts about magic. _

_ Nobody had ever expected tragedy to befall House Stark, but it seemed that in the end her family had been cursed too when her lord father was beheaded by a vicious and cruel boy king. Her siblings had been spread all over the country and she was forced to run away in order to save her own life. _

_ She could have died along with her father, but if one thing could be said about Arya Stark was that she was born a survivor. Her mother had said once that Arya was half a boy and half a wolf pup. Lady Stark had been right to some degree since Arya indeed had wolf blood in her. She knew how to ride horses and how to fight. With time she learned how to lie and how to disguise. _

_ With her family downfall, there was a price at her head. If they managed to get her, she would become a hostage at least or they could simply declare that an ugly girl wasn’t worthy of their time and kill her. _

_ She heard of her older brother’s death and also about the attack at her house. She heard of her mother’s death and her sister’s wedding and realized that she had nowhere else to go. Her father had told her that the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. Arya had no pack, no one to help her when she was being hunted down by her family’s enemies. _

_ One night during her journey she found a heart tree and decided to pray and ask for the help of the Old Gods. They whispered gently in her ears. Arya closed her eyes and in the darkness of her mind she saw the image of an ethereal castle made of ice, with a crow flying around the highest tower. Go to the wolf prince…The Old Gods said and she listened. _

_ She stole a horse and traveled North, but no one knew of an Ice Castle, only an old wall made of ice. Arya kept running for days. She was hungry, tired and cold to the point of giving up her life and just lay in the snow to die peacefully. Arya had felt the cold kiss of death in her face and she almost let it embrace her, but she had learned a very important lesson from her tutor a while ago. There is only one god and his name is Death. There is only one thing to say to Death. Not today. _

_ She whispered the words and Death must have listened. _


	2. Chapter 2

It was probably the first time she felt warmth in months. She felt so cozy that for a moment she thought she had died and Death had taken her to heaven. If it wasn’t for the ache in her stomach, Arya Stark would have believed it to be right.

The smell of food filled her nostrils and made her stomach growl angrily. Her eyes opened lazily and Arya looked around trying to understand where she was.

The place was all made of dark stone without any adornments. The bed where she was laying was comfortable and there were several pieces of fur and blankets to keep her warm. There was a simple table and a couple of chairs in a corner, where there was a meal waiting to be eaten.

She rose from her bed and went straightly to the table. There was a thick broth, fried bread and cheese along with a jar of dark ale. Arya ignored all of her manners and started eating in a way that her mother would have labeled as savage.

The door was suddenly open making giving Arya a startle. A crow flew across the room to rest by her bed side while shouting girl, girl, girl…

Arya remembered Old Nan’s words. A cursed prince living in an Ice Castle, with only a crow to keep him company. The crow looked at her and cried out once more…Girl! Girl! Girl! It didn’t take long for a chubby man to enter the room and looked at her with a satisfied smile.

“Oh! You are awake!” He said in a joyful tone. “That’s good news! I thought it would take longer.”

Girl! Girl! Girl! The bird shouted again and the man waved his gloved hand trying making the crow move away.

“Stupid bird! Is he bothering you?”

“Not really. He just startled me.” Arya answered carefully. “Are you the prince?” She asked bluntly, making the man look at her with obvious anxiety.

“Oh no! I’m no Prince. Once I was the eldest son of a lord, but now I’m just poor old Samwell. You may call me Sam if you want.” He said calmly. “Who are you? Do you remember anything before you lost conscience?”

She remained silent for Arya didn’t know if that place was a safe refuge or if her enemies were there waiting for her. Sam must have sensed that she was hiding something. He smiled at her lightly.

“It’s all right. You are at the Wall. Once this place has served as the post of the Night's Watch. The Watch is over, but the few that remain her still keep their ways. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you did, at the Wall all crimes are forgiven and family names are forgotten. You are safe here.”

“My name is Arya Stark and I was seeking refuge.” She answered cautiously.

“Is Benjen Stark anything to you?” Sam asked curiously, making her nod.

“He is my uncle, but I haven’t seen him since I was a child.” She answered.

“I’m sorry for being the one to tell you this. Benjen died almost a year ago. He was a good man.”

“I never knew were my uncle lived. I knew he was North doing something for my father, but nobody would ever talk about it.” Arya answered. “He lived here?”

“Most of the time.”

“Who long have I been unconscious?” She asked.

“Two days. We found you a few miles from here. You didn’t seem to be hurt, but you were probably starving. You would have died if you stayed in the snow a little longer, but the gods are good. We found you and you are safe for now.” He said gently. “Now you should rest. Don’t leave this room. I’ll check on you latter.”

Sam got out of the room before she could make any questions. Although he had assured her that she was safe, Arya could tell that he was avoiding give much explanations. Her own uncle had lived in that place, so she supposed her name could help her to get at least a few provisions to get to the Ice Castle.

Although she was tired, Arya couldn’t simply remain in bed while she had so many questions to be answered. Maybe Sam had an idea of where she could find the Ice Castle, or maybe he knew something about the lost prince to tell her. She couldn’t be any more cursed than she already was. She wrapped herself in a thick blanket and walked out of the room.

At first Arya had thought that place to be a minor fortification lost in the middle of nowhere, but once she found her way to a small courtyard Arya realized that she was probably closer to her destiny that she first thought.

The place was all covered with snow and it was so cold that she could easily lose the tip of her nose if she wasn’t careful enough. The castle itself was all made of dark stone and wood at the base of a magnificent wall all made of ice.

She realized that maybe what Old Nan had called an Ice Castle was indeed an Ice Wall. The fortification itself was just as cold and inhospitable and if it wasn’t for Sam Arya would even doubt that anyone lived there. With a pang in her heart, Arya concluded that she was in the very end of the known world. Snow was gently falling from the sky and covering her head like a veil. It reminded her of home and soon there were tears in her eyes.

She heard a low growl somewhere in the courtyard and soon her instincts became alert. She had spent enough time lost in woods, swamps and wastes to know the sound of danger. Arya turned around, trying to find whatever might have made that sound and she found it.

A few steps from where she stood the white wolf looked at her with his bright red eyes and bare teeth. Although Arya could easily tell that it was a wolf, she couldn’t ignore the size of the beast. It was monstrous, like Old Nan’s descriptions of direwolves.

The beast growled and threatened to attack, but made no sudden move or even run toward her. The wolf wasn’t hungry, she concluded. It was more like as if it was trying to scare her off, to intimidate her in a way that was almost intelligent.

She looked up to the sky. It was hard to tell if it was day or night by the sight of it and Arya was probably being foolish to think about an old fairy tale, but she couldn’t help it. The Old Gods had shown her an Ice Castle and told her to find the Wolf Prince.

Maester Luwing would surely tell her that even if Rhaegar and Lyanna have had a child, it was impossible that the young prince would be indeed an animal given to some sorcery. But there was the white wolf, with his blood red eyes and sharp teeth. In Old Nan story, the cursed prince would turn back to his human form during the night. If that was true, the only thing she had to do was to wait and see it for herself. That is…If she managed to stay alive until there.

“LET HER BE!!!” Someone shouted from inside the castle. “Don’t hurt her!”

Sam came to the yard running as fast as his weight and short legs allowed him to, while waving his hands in the air.

“She is a friend!” He shouted again, making the wolf turn his head to look at him in a way that was almost intelligent. “She is Ben’s nice! She is a Stark!”

The white wolf approached her with calculated steps. Arya couldn’t help the fear or the chill on her spine when the beast sniffed her. Whatever the wolf had sensed with his nose, it was probably what kept her in one piece.

The wolf turned away from her disappeared in the darkness of the castle leaving Arya and Sam behind. If there was any doubt about it, the awkward event gave Arya even more reason to believe that place to be enchanted and that white wolf to be the Cursed Prince.

“That was close.” Sam sighted.

“What was close?” She asked mindlessly.

“You shouldn’t walk around the castle alone like this. He doesn’t like strangers.” Sam answered.

“Is he the Prince?” Arya asked while looking directly at the chubby man’s face, making Sam look down to his feet.

“What do you know about it?” He asked. “Why have you come here?”

“I only know a story I used to hear when I was a child. A story about a cursed prince hidden inside an Ice Castle with only a crow to keep him company. Old Nan warned me about it. I shouldn’t tell anyone about the prince or I would get cursed too.”

“That is a nice way to put it. You shouldn’t have come here looking for a fairy tale, my lady. You’ll find none here.” Sam said soberly.

“I had nowhere else to go.” She answered. “My father was beheaded. My brothers betrayed and butchered. My sister sold to marry the son of the enemy and there’s a price for my head. I lived on my own, trying hard to survive all this, but I have nowhere else to go and if I am right, this lost prince might be the only family I have left.”

“You will find no suitable life here, my lady. Only a shadow.” Sam looked directly at her. “Your uncle sworn an oath and so did every living soul inside this castle. We are trapped here for a life, only allowed to leave under very specific circumstances. If you came here with the intention of sharing whatever you find out with the world, I must tell you that you won’t get out of here alive. If is shelter what you want, know that the price for it will be a life locked up within this walls.”

“So you’ve made me a prisoner from the very first minute. You brought me here.” She said it angrily.

“If you had stayed inside your room as I have told you to, when the time was right we would have sent you to a safe place, where you could try to start a new life. He let you live because you are Benjen’s niece. He won’t be so kind if you cross him again.”

“What is his name?” Arya asked.

“His parents might have given him another name, but you father and uncle have named him Jon.”

“What will be of me now?” Arya sighed.

“It’s up to him to decide. He is the Prince after all, although he had rejected his title about a thousand times.” Sam said calmly. “He is not cruel, though. I doubt he would do you any harm as long as you follow his rules. If you prove to be trustworthy you will never have reason to fear him.”

“You speak with admiration for one that is as much a prisoner as I am.”

“I came here on my own free will. Although I’m not allowed to live unless Jon grants me his permission, this place is the only one in the world I dare call home. I have never known such freedom where I came from and Jon is a really good friend, despite of his sour face.”

“So he does turn into a man.” Arya concluded.

“Every night just to remember him of the life he will never have. It has made him bitter along the years. Your uncle was probably his best friend and he misses Benjen greatly.”

“He could break the curse.” She said.

“I don’t know what kind of stories you have heard, but I fear that there’s no way to break this curse.” Sam answered sadly. “Even if there is, Jon had lost his hope a long time ago. No curse can be broken without hope.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to publish the second chapter today, just for you guys to get a deeper understanding of what is going on in this alternative universe. For that matter, Tommen is the King on the Iron Throne. The Red Wedding is a thing. Arya believes her entire family to be dead, except for Sansa. Daenerys does'nt exist.  
> I hope you like it and reviews are most welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

Arya had never been the sort of girl that would stay sit still for long. Although Sam had warned her to stay inside her room and wait for the Prince to decide what to do with her, all that she wanted was to walk around the castle freely and get her questions answered.

Sam brought her books to keep her distracted, but Arya had little interest in whatever might be on those books. Her life was at stake and her options were both terrible. Arya could either throw herself at her enemies feet, or stay a captive to a mysterious creature that could eat her whole, for all that she have seen.

For the moment all that she could do was stay inside her room and wait for her fate to be decided. If only Old Nan’s stories would tell her what to expect from that Wolf Prince. The only thing she knew was the beast he could be and what a tremendous thing it was. No matter that he seemed capable of controlling his animal side; anyone who laid eyes on the wolf would know fear.

Arya couldn’t tell how long she remained at the room, but eventually Sam showed up with some new clothes for her to wear and some water for her to wash herself clean.

“Jon expects you to have dinner with him.” Sam announced with an enthusiastic voice. “He seems to be calmer now.”

“Is that something good?” She asked with an eyebrow arched as she looked at the clothes he had brought her.

“Very good if you consider that he doesn’t like to talk to people at all.” He let a nervous laugh escape. “I’m afraid we won’t have anything worthy of your birth for you to wear, my lady.”

“I never cared much about clothes.” Arya answered simply. “These will do. I’m surprised that you actually found a dress here.”

“So am I.” He answered mindlessly. “I’ll let you get dressed now.”

Arya cleaned herself and got dresses. She looked carefully at the clothes Sam gave her and noticed that although the dress was indeed a simple and a bit old fashioned one, it was made of fine material. The fabric was thick and soft to the touch, like something her mother would have used in a cold day. The color was light gray that made it look like dirty snow.

She braided her hair loosely and once she was ready it didn’t take long for Sam to show up and conduct her to the presence of her host.

As she walked through the halls and corridors, Arya couldn’t help noticing that although the castle looked mostly abandoned, a genuine effort had been made in order to give some warmth to it. Everything in it made her remember of her own home, but there were no noises to be heard or laughs to be shared.

“It is always so quiet around here?” She asked Sam eventually.

“It’s generally worst, unless any of us gets mad at the bird.” Sam answered just before stopping at a closed door at the top of a tower. “I must go now.”

Arya opened the door and entered the room. The fireplace had been lightened up and it was the only source of light inside the place. There was nothing extraordinary about the room, except for the fact that there was a table large enough to accommodate at least eight guests displaying what seemed to be a delicious banquet.

There was another door across the room and Arya supposed that it would lead to the Prince’s chambers. She walked around the table, admiring the food and the careful organization of the table covered with a fancy towel. It was strange that a place so roughly built could show her a bit of refinement in the most unexpected details.

“By all means, have a sit.” A voice, cold and harsh as winter itself spoke somewhere in the dark room.

Arya did what she was told and took a deep breath as if she was getting ready for a battle. She waited for her host to take a sit, but he never did. In the darkness she could hear his steps against the floor and it made her nervous.

“Who are you?” The voice questioned her.

“I am Arya Stark of Winterfell.” She said trying to sound as brave as possible.

“Anyone could claim to be anything. What prove can you give?” He inquired harshly.

“I could tell you the names of my parents and siblings. I could tell you that Benjen Stark is my uncle, but I haven’t seen him since I was a child. If you doubted my world you would have killed me at the yard today, but you chose not to. I understand that you are already convinced that I’m not lying, otherwise I would be dead.”

“How could a wolf talk?” His voice sounded like a mockery, but Arya ignored it.

“Magic, perhaps.” She answered sharply.

“There’s no such a thing.” His voice was heavy with frustration and anger, as if he had tried to find that magic during the years and never managed. “You’ve heard stories about me. Weren’t you afraid of what you might find here? Weren’t you concerned that I might kill you for being so curious?”

“I trusted that you wouldn’t hurt someone of your own kin.” Arya answered while realizing how foolish she had been for believing he owed her anything at all. For all she knew, he was a reclusive man, but she never realized that it had been an acquired necessity during the years. If he wanted to be safe, he needed to be isolated. “I’m sorry…I…I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Silence took over the room and Arya could feel the tension, heavy and asphyxiating. If there was mercy or at least a bit of empathy in him, Arya could not tell for sure. He might still kill her for finding out his hiding place or out of fear that she might reveal his secret to the world. On the other hand, he could display some kindness and take her in.

“Your smell…” He said soberly. “It reminds me of uncle Benjen.” He finally said it in a way that made Arya believe that he did have a heart. “I knew your father too. He was a good man.”

“He was beheaded.” She answered just before biting her bottom lip, trying hard not to cry at the memory of it.

“So I’ve heard.” He answered. “That give us something in common, I suppose. We both lost our families because of a Baratheon.”

“We should do something about it.” She answered mindlessly. “We should kill them all.”

“I would gladly do such a thing, but I see no army around here.” His voice sounded dark. “I don’t know what kind of stories you’ve heard, but this one was not meant to have a happy ending. My title and my blood won’t give me back what the Baratheons robbed. I lack the power, I lack the army and the political connections, I lack even the human condition.”

“The stories I’ve heard said that you turn into a man during the night.” She answered boldly. “I can hear the voice of a human even if you don't show me your face.”

It must have been the last drop of his patience consumed by her lack of tact with words that made something move in the shadows. The silhouette of a man came from behind her, walking toward the light.

He was tall and lean although his heavy vests made him look bigger. His hair was dark like the wings of the crow. He turned his face and Arya waited for a hideous and deformed one only to be surprised by the unshaved face of a young and handsome man.

“Satisfied?” He asked coldly, while looking at her with the eyes of a maester studying an ancient book.

“Not exactly.” She answered in defiance. “You look rather normal.”

“I’m sorry for disappointing you.” He lowered his face a bit as if he was embarrassed somehow. “I wonder why Lord Stark had one of his daughters informed of my existence. He always tried to dissuade me of fighting for my birthright and yet you seem to be very much interested in convincing me otherwise.”

“He never told me about it. I wasn’t supposed to talk about it with anyone.” She answered before taking a deep breath. “Old Nan told me the story and I figured out that the characters on it were quite similar to Rhaegar and Lyanna. Everything else I figured out for myself.”

“You are too young and too clever to your own good.” He said it before taking a sit by her side. “You should have thought of me as a legend and remain in ignorance. It would be better. It would have kept you free and safe somewhere else.”

“There is a price for my head. I wasn’t safe anyway.” She answered immediately.

“Another thing we have in common than. We are both running and hiding.” He said it before sipping a glass of wine. “I can’t let you go now that you’ve seen me. That’s what your cleverness bought you. A life of safety and captivity in this castle, if that can be considered a life at all.” He turned his face to look at her with cold grey eyes. “Your Old Nan should have warned you that my curse stains anyone and everyone who dares to get to close and you, my lady…You are sitting right by my side; so close that I can even smell your tears.”

“I’m not crying.” She said while raising her chin stubbornly, making him muffle a laugh.

“If you knew what it means, you would be. At least it’s good to know that you are made of strong material. This place can drive anyone mad after a while.” He answered with a slightly playful tone. “The dress suits you. You may keep it.”

“I don’t understand why you would have a dress to give me.” Arya replied him sourly. The prince looked at her carefully.

“It belonged to my lady mother. Your own father brought them here so I would have something that belonged to her in my possession, but you’ll have more use for them than I do.”

She didn’t have an answer for that. Arya lowered her face and looked once more at the dress and how valuable it was to him. Although her host was surely not pleased with her presence, he was generous enough to give her something so important. In many ways it felt like she had signed a pact with the devil and for the first time Arya considered the price she would have to pay for his help.

“You should eat, cousin.” He said eventually, making Arya look up to him again.

“What do you expect of me, Your Highness?” She finally asked, making him look at her intensely.

“What I expect of you?” He raised an eyebrow. “I expect that you call me Jon, and not Your Highness. I expect that you won’t try to get out of the castle without my permission. I also expect you to have dinner with me every night. Other than that you may do whatever you want and explore the castle as much as you like. Fear not, my lady. I won’t bite you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated! I hope you'll like it.


	4. Chapter 4

He sent her back to her room once the dinner was over. In many ways, Arya felt like a child being told what to do, eat and wear in order to please the man that had granted her some safety. The truth is she had asked for survival and received it as long as she paid with her freedom. There was no joy in such a thing. As Jon had said, it was barely a life.

When she woke up in the next morning Sam invited her to help him in his duties. Arya realized with a bit of surprise that the chubby man wasn’t the only one working at the castle. There were builders, man at arms and stewards running all around.

“I thought this place was a secret.” She eventually pointed it to Sam. “What have brought them here?” Sam smiled kindly at her as he cleaned the crows’ cages.

“Most of them are here looking for a place to hide and start a new life.” He said calmly. “The sins of a man are forgotten once he gets to the Wall, or at least it was like this when the Night’s Watch still existed. They keep coming every now and then. Lord Stark allowed it to go on as long as we kept it discreet. If anyone got out of here without permission, beheading was certain.”

“There’s no one at Winterfell now to grant you protection. You are all in danger.”  She said out of exasperation. Sam gave her a basket full of chopped meat to feed the crows.

“Jon knows it and the men know it too. He is a clever man, my lady.” Sam said it in attempt to keep her calm. “He has been talking with the wildling clans for a while now. Although they don’t like us much, we have managed to develop some diplomacy. Jon had offered them refuge in times of need several times. There is a debt of honor and if needed they will help us to defend the castle.”

“It sounds unstable. My presence here will only make it worst.” She said it while throwing the meat at the crows that would pick each other to get to the best pieces.

“Oh that’s not true, my lady.” Sam said it joyously. “You are Lord Stark’s daughter after all. They wouldn’t dare to put your life at risk. Northern lords own you their loyalty, my lady.”

“I am no one now. I am a fugitive as much as any of these men. My brothers could have leaded men into battle and keep this place safe. I am deprived of my name, title and anything that might have helped us to keep this place safe.”

“This is not what I’ve seen.” Sam insisted. “Although we are locked up inside this castle we keep some communication with people still loyal to Jon as much as to your dead father. There is talking of rebellion. The Northern Lords are not pleased with the king nor with what happened to your brothers. With your sister wedded to the enemy they won’t support her, but they might support you if needed.”

“For someone who claims to have no interest in war, my cousin seems to be preparing this place for one and I am the central piece in the game as it seems.” Arya answered angrily, making the birds even more agitated.

“Jon is not preparing for a war, but given the circumstances he needs to think about his security and yours for that matter.” Sam looked at her cautiously. “You came here seeking refuge and your enemies are likely to follow you. Jon will be in danger too if it comes to that. He owns much to your father and uncle. It used to be them to grant this place protection.”

“Now that’s my duty.” She sighted. “It seems to be a fair price for me to pay, along with my freedom.”

“No one knows what might happen. Jon can still let you go one day.”

“Or he might still keep me locked up for the rest of my life.” Arya sighted. “The gods have tricked me.”

Sam chose to not encourage her in such a topic of conversation. Instead of fuelling her anger, he took her to walk around the castle.

She noticed that the other men living there would always bow at her presence in sign of respect and address her as Lady Stark, or something like that. She understood that her cousin must have informed them of her presence and made sure that she would be treated accordingly which made her feel uncomfortable.

If she was supposed to stay inside the castle, she would have to do something with her time. Sam was responsible for being Jon’s steward and also private secretary. He knew how to read and write and those activities seemed to give him tremendous satisfaction.

Under the castle there was a great ancient library filled with rare books from all over the known world and there Sam had his own office. He spent almost the whole day calculating provisions and all sort of things related to the castle. That was something she could help with. After several hours, Arya gave up her figures to take a better look at the books.

“Have you read them all?” She asked him eventually.

“I wish I had. Some of them were written in old forgotten languages. Some are too old to be read.”

“My younger brother liked books. His favorites were about ghosts and monsters. I wonder if there is a book that could help my cousin to turn into a man again.”

“The Targaryens were said to be sorcerers. Who knows what kind of knowledge they had? I wish I could help him in this, but I’ve found nothing so far.” Sam sighed as he examined the pages of the registers. “By the gods! It’s late! My lady should go up or you’ll miss dinner.”

“I don’t really want to have dinner with him.” She answered sourly.

“He will be angry if you don’t show up.” Sam pointed. “Besides, Gilly is waiting for me and if I don’t get there in time I’ll be the one in serious trouble.”

“Who’s Gilly?”

“My wife.” Sam announced proudly. “A wildling girl, you see. You don’t want to face one of those when they get angry. Now, off you go. Give him a chance, my lady. Jon is not some sort of barbarian and when given the chance he is quite amiable.”

Arya sighed before getting out of the library. In her way back to her room she noticed how cold it was getting and decided to look for something warmer to wear. It seemed that when the wind started howling outside, those who worked at the castle would simply vanish, giving a desolated aspect to the place.

She soon decided that the castle was a sad place and her cousin was the saddest creature she had ever known. He was also the slyest if what Sam had told her was true. The Prince had an army, or at least the perspective of gathering one, but he wouldn’t use it to claim his birthright, nor would he use it to help her claim back her home. Everything he was doing was in order to keep her locked up inside that Ice Castle, like Lyanna had been locked up inside the Tower of Joy.

If her cousin had friends among the Northern Lords and those same lords owned her fealty, maybe there was a chance for her to find refuge somewhere else. What Arya had to do was to find the names, or sigils of those lords among Sam’s parchments and books. It shouldn’t be that difficult and once she knew…She could take a horse and ride South.

Jon would be furious with her and there was no doubt of it, but cowardice would keep him close to his castle and as far as possible from anyone that might find out about his curse. He said that he lacked the human condition, so be it. She was a human being and she wouldn’t allow him to tell her what to do with her life.

Once Arya got dressed in warmer clothes, she got up to Jon’s tower while trying to figure out the best way to set her plan in motion. She opened the heavy door and entered the dark room only to find her cousin already sitting at the table while sipping some ale.

“You are late.” He said it in an annoyed tone.

“I’m sorry. I got distracted with Sam in the library.” She answered while trying to catch her breath. “Where have you been all day?”

“That’s not of your concern.”

“I can see that uncle Benjen forgot to teach you good manners.” Arya sat before him while Jon looked at her with a shocked expression. Jon remained silent as she served her own plate.

“Have you enjoyed your day, my lady?” He asked in a clear attempt of displaying his good manners. Arya tried hard not to laugh at it.

“It was fine, but I would like to exercise a bit eventually.” She answered as a matter of fact.

“Exercise? What kind of exercise?”

“I don’t know. Horse riding maybe. I could do with a bit of sword fighting and archery too.” Jon looked at her with amusement.

“If I didn’t know you to be a lady, I would risk saying that you are a spear wife. Tell me cousin, did Lord Stark have all of his daughters trained in weaponry and horse riding?”

“My father never had me trained until we reached King’s Landing. I guess he gave up trying to make a lady out of me eventually, or sensed the danger in the air. I was learning a braavosi style in sword fighting. My sister is a perfect lady. She probably never touched a blade in her life unless someone has told her it was the proper thing to do.” She sighed before giving a bite at a slice of cheese.

“What about archery?” He sounded intrigued.

“I had to learn it on my way here. I stole a bow and a few arrows. I figured out it was easier to hunt using them.”

“You can hunt; you can fight; you can ride horses…What else you can do?”

“I’m good with numbers. If you doubt it you may ask Sam. I know languages too, and history. My hand writing is decent, I suppose.”

“I thought a lady was supposed to enjoy needle work and singing.” He teased her.

“Unless you want to get bleeding ears you won’t want to hear me singing. As for needle work, I was never good at it so I would escape my classes whenever I got the chance.” Arya answered back.

“No poetry or drawing? No music at all?”

“I was never much of an artist.”

“Pity. I would like to have some music around here. I’m not a skilled musician. I was told my father would be disappointed at it.” Jon sighted before start eating.

“Mine never cared much about it, but mother did. My sister can play the lute, harp and bells. She sings like a canary and is pretty too. You see, there wasn’t much of anything left by the time I was born.”

“You are strong as long as I can see. There aren’t many who would survive the journey, even less that would find my condition anything but monstrous.” He raised his eyes a bit just to look at her carefully. “You are pretty, though. Prettiest than most girls I’ve seen.”

“Not that they have been many.” She answered rolling her eyes. He laughed at it.

“What? Your Old Nan seems to have forgotten to tell you that I only eat pretty girls whenever I am in my wolf form.” His voice was sober and dark.

“What do you do with them when you are a human?” Arya defied him.

“Generally I seduce and bed them. When the sun rises I kill them before they can wake up.” He answered as a matter of fact. “That’s how I like my breakfast.”

“Then you were lying to me. I’m not pretty if you haven’t eaten me yet.”

“Maybe I’m just saving you for a special occasion.” He suggested.

“I don’t think so. I’m too skinny for a proper meal. Too many bones to deal with.”

He laughed out loud at her answer; in a way that Arya had judged him incapable of. It felt like Jon hasn’t done such a thing in centuries, making him look more like a boy instead of a cursed man.

“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?” He looked at her with tears in his eyes.

“Maybe.” She felt a bit embarrassed. “Mother would call me disrespectful for it. She thought that I should be modest and think before speaking my mind.”

“I like you better the way you are. Time with you is far more entertaining than I had anticipated.”

“That’s why you’ll keep me here? Am I the fool to your gloomy court?” Arya finished in a single gulp her glass of wine as Jon observed her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable.

“I haven’t had the time to decide your purpose here yet, but for now you are the lady of my gloomy court.” He answered, back to his usual tone.

“Will you let me go eventually?” She asked out of frustration.

“You have just arrived.” He said as if it was a suitable answer to her anxiety. “Besides, you said that you have nowhere else to go, so why would I allow you to walk aimlessly when your enemies and mine might be just waiting for a chance to take you back to King’s Landing?”

“What if I have somewhere to go? Would you let me?”

Jon rose from his sit and walked toward her. For a moment Arya thought he might get angry and even violent at her, but instead of it he kneeled by her side as if he was trying to give a young child a lecture.

“What makes you think that you are any different from those men you’ve seen here?” He asked calmly, looking directly inside her eyes. “You came here looking for protection and you’ll pay the same price they do, sweet cousin. I advise you to put these ideas of going somewhere else behind you and try to figure out what to do with your time here.” He raised his hand to move a string of her hair way from her face. There was something incredibly intimate and frightening in such gesture. In many ways it felt like an oppressive metaphor to her position. She was inside his hands to do whatever he wanted. “You are a beautiful thing, my lady. I might still devour you, but for now I’m inclined to keep you here for the sake of my tired eyes.”

Jon rose back to his feet, inclining his body only enough to kiss her forehead.

“I must go now.” He whispered close to her ear. “Sleep well, sweet cousin.”


	5. Chapter 5

He had spent most of his day observing how she would follow Sam everywhere like a child following her mother. In many ways she was still a child as it seemed, but Arya Stark had a weight in her gestures and acts that shown how much she had gone through in order to survive. That was something he could admire and relate with.

She was angry at him and made no secret of it. Jon could understand and even sympathize with the feeling since he was locked up inside that castle as much as she was, but there was nothing in this world able to convince him that letting Arya Stark go was a good idea. It was just too risky for both of them.

There was also his necessity for someone able to reinforce the connections he had with some Northern Lords. As long as he had Arya Stark near he had insurance that the northerners wouldn’t threaten him or the men under his command.

Benjen had tried to warn him about his vulnerability, but at that time Jon was too young to understand that no one can live forever and most of his security was related with the protection granted by Lord Stark and his younger brother. His uncles had done their best and now they were both dead.

Benjen’s suggestion back then had been a simple one. Jon should marry someone of relevance. Someone able to grant him good connections, if not an army to fight for his cause. Lord Stark had opposed to the idea almost immediately, making Jon wonder what his uncle feared the most about the whole idea. Jon had the claim to take the throne, but that would mean death to Lord Eddard’s old friend and all of the Baratheons. Maybe what Lord Stark really feared was the fact that if Jon was indeed to marry someone of relevance, his daughters would be the obvious choices.

After all those years, Arya Stark came to him in times of need and although Jon liked to think of himself as a pessimist, not even he could deny that if felt like a blessing. With all the animosity among the northerners after Ned’s death and the rage for Robb’s assassination, the crown had little to no power in the North and the talk of rebellion was becoming serious.

With Lady Sansa married to the enemy no lord would ever support her claim. Arya was an unwed and undoubtedly northerner about her looks. She could unite the North under the same cause and take back her home with proper guidance. Besides, she was nice to Lord Tully and Lady Aryn. That meant she was blood connected with three major houses. Benjen would have declared in no uncertain terms that anyone with such blood was a worthy bride for a future king.

If only that king had a kingdom to rule and a human body to show in the daylight. What kind of army would ever follow a woman and a wolf? What woman would ever be satisfied with a husband that was half man and half an animal?

Girl! Girl! Girl! The crow screamed close to his sensible ears, making him growl while changing his clothes for dinner.

There was a sense of freedom whenever he was in his human form, a sense of autonomy and conscience. He could choose what to wear and what to eat. He could speak for himself and be understood by everyone else. He could close his eyes and pretend to be a normal man having supper with a pretty girl for once, although Arya usually made the occasions quite difficult.

Under normal circumstances he would have never tried to scare her, but that night and all the talking about letting her go to somewhere else had made him anxious and restless.

She was there, talking to him as she would do with any other man and making him laugh with her sharp humor and witty mind. He liked to spend time like that, just looking at the way she moved and admiring her pretty face as if Arya was some kind of valuable art piece.

Benjen’s suggestion seemed to be far more appealing, now that he could see her and listen to her. He couldn’t tolerate the idea of imposing his condition to her just like that, but at least the idea had a different taste now and all the talking about bedding and eating pretty girls for breakfast had only made him wonder…How would it be to have her in such a way?

The thought of it only made him more and more frustrated as he realized that Arya would take the first opportunity to run away. Curiosity killed the cat, but in this case, the wolf was also likely to die from the same illness. Jon had dared to fantasize and dream about the deadly notion of love and Arya was just too close for him to resist the temptation.

He had fought this idea as much as he could, but in the end Jon gave into curiosity. He kneeled before her and allowed his fingers to remove a string of her hair away from her pretty face. He could almost touch her. Her smell had a faint hint of blue roses and if he had been a different man Jon would have taken her without a second thought.

He was Rhaegar’s son, though. He craved for a love able to inspire songs, not a dark tale of brutality. Jon hasn’t been fashioned to be a savage conqueror and if the lady was to belong to him in any way, it would be by her choice, not his violence.

The frustration and temptation clashed inside him like waves, making the whole night just too overwhelming for his taste. Before anything could escape his control, Jon went to his safe refuge in the glass garden. The winter roses were finally blooming.

“You don’t look pleased.” Jon heard the hushed voice of his friend. Sam was smelling of beef stew and garlic. “What happened?”

“Nothing really. Just a silly girl trying to play me in order to escape.” Jon nearly growled. “She seemed quite content this morning while talking to you, but Lady Stark can barely wait to get rid of me.” Speaking it out loud had made him even angrier.

“You know nothing about it, Jon. Really.” Sam sounded annoyed. “She hasn’t talked about anything else but leaving the castle and anyone can understand that. She didn’t know what she was bargaining for and let’s face it…In her place you would like to escape too. Lady Stark is also obsessed with the idea of breaking the curse, something you gave up a long time ago.”

“As if such a thing was possible. It’s just a waste of time.” Jon growled out of frustration.

“I suppose that she has enough time to waste. It won’t do any harm and what if Lady Arya actually finds something? You’ll be free to get out of here. Free to fight for your birthright or live a life of your own in the Free Cities.”

“And if Lady Arya fails, she will wake up trapped inside this castle, having no one but me to keep her company.” He sighed. “She has done nothing to deserve it and she has a life ahead of her.”

“It’s the first time the idea bothers you. And it’s the first time I see this flowers around here. This must be a good omen.” Sam said cheerfully. “I think the lady’s charms might have softened you a bit.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“If Benjen were here he would probably insist on the matter of her being connected with several major houses, which is something very much desirable given your current position.” Sam insisted. “I know you don’t like to think about these matters, but…Jon, you are the last Targaryen. You were born to be king. You should be thinking about your legacy.”

“You mean siring some wolf pups.” Jon sighed angrily. “I won’t force my condition upon her.”

“This is hypocrisy. You already have her locked up here against her will for a lifetime. If you send her to any of your loyalists, the first thing they will do is to find her a husband to claim Winterfell in her name. Why ask for someone else to do it, when you could take her for your wife and take the support of half of the country in a single move.”

“I have nothing but my pride and my honor, Sam. If I ever let go of it I’ll definitely become an animal.” Jon turned to look at his friend directly and again the weight of his curse felt heavy over his shoulders. “Even if I find the idea to be tempting. Even if I find the lady to be comely and alluring…I could never take her against her will. I still have good reasons to keep her here, for both her security and mine, but that’s it. Whatever Benjen might have planned in regard to politics and alliances it is not my business. I won’t make Arya Stark my wife, unless she accepts it.”

“You are doing a very poor job at convincing her to accept you.” Sam sighted. “I was never good with girls, but I doubt you’ll ever get to Lady Arya’s heart by scaring her whenever you have the chance.”

“I’m not scaring her.” Jon protested.

“Yes, you are.” Sam insisted. “Have you tried to find out what she likes? Have you tried to be nice to her? No. You are the scary wolf who tried to bite her during the day and the scary man paranoid about you own isolation during the night. There’s no surprise that she finds little to no appeal in the perspective of staying here.”

“What do you suggest me to do?”

“I don’t know. Be nice to her, I suppose. Invite her to do something she likes, give her gifts…These roses would do just fine.”

“No. Not the roses.” Jon answered bluntly. “Perhaps something else. She told me she would like to exercise. Maybe I should have a bow and arrows made for her.”

“Are you planning to give weapons to a woman you want to be your bride?”

“Yes. Why? Is it something stupid to do?” Jon asked out of confusion.

“Not stupid, but definitely risky. Who knows what she might do with those things when you upset her?”

“I’ll have to show Lady Arya that I trust her at some point.” Jon argued.

“I suppose so.” Sam agreed. “But giving weapons is not a good way to start showing your trust.”

Jon raised his hand in a gesture that asked for silence. His ears had picked something wrong in the air. Horses…They were agitated.

“Do you hear it?” Jon asked his friend.

“I really hate when you start to ask these things as if I had your abilities. I can’t hear a thing.” Sam said immediately. “What is it?”

“The horses.” Jon answered. “They are agitated. Who is responsible for the vigil tonight?” Jon asked urgently.

“Dolorous Ed, I guess.” Sam said out of confusion.

“Sam, check Lady Arya’s room.” Jon’s voice sounded imperative and urgent.

“At such an hour? To what purpose? It is highly inappropriate for a married man to act in such a way.”

“I want you to check if she is there!” Jon nearly growled. No matter how bright Sam was, sometimes he simply couldn’t see the obvious. “Oh, never mind!”

Before Jon could turn in order to check on Lady Arya himself another man walked into the glass garden. Gren seemed to be in a hurry, with his hair all messed up and his breath turned into foam given the cold.

“Come at once, Your Highness!” He said in a desperate tone. “A horse was robbed and escaped through the Southern Gate! The lady…She…”

“Fetch my horse. I’ll bring her back before the sun rise.” He answered angrily, causing much distress to Sam.

“What if you don’t succeed? Jon, it’s too dangerous.”

“I must do it. Prepare a hunting party to follow me just in case I don’t come back before the sun rise.” Jon’s voice sounded harsh. “I want a room to be prepared for her on my tower. Since no one here seems to be capable of keeping a girl under guard, I’ll do it myself. Gren, you come with me and bring Satin and Pip with you.”

That silly girl…She had no safe place to go and no friends south. For all that he knew about Arya Stark, she was a threat to the boy king and a valuable prize for anyone with any political ambition.

The worst part was that she knew too much about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you'll like it and reviews are appreciated.


	6. Chapter 6

It was a freezing night for sure, but Arya simply couldn’t wait another day for running. After the prince left her, she had sneaked into Sam’s office to search for any clue that might lead her to one of her father’s loyal banner. She looked at the amount of wax sigils on parchment hidden inside a drawer. If only she had Sansa’s talent for remembering sigils and houses’ names, it would haven’t taken so long for Arya to find what she was looking for.

The crocodile on green wax…House Reed from Greywater Watch. It was probably her best option. Howland Reed had been a good friend to her father. He had even saved her father’s life once. He would help her for sure if Arya could prove that she was Eddard Stark’s daughter. She only had to get as far as possible from the Ice Castle during that night. Jon wouldn’t risk getting out of his hiding place in his wolf form.

She managed to enter the stables and get herself a horse, an abandoned bow and some arrows. It wasn’t the best horse available, but would help her to put a good distance between her and Jon. The horses protested, scared by her presence, but the night was dark and the watchers wouldn’t be able to see her if she was careful enough.

She had been very very lucky that night. Dolorous Ed was too busy reliving himself at the other side of the wall when she passed the gates.

Arya put the horse to run as soon as she got far enough to not be seen or heard. She run as fast as she could, feeling her blood pumping through her veins, her heart beating fast as the night grew so cold that Arya could feel her bones aching.

The prince would be furious when he found out. Probably furious enough to kill someone out of rage. That cursed creature was nothing like what Old Nan had her believe. He wasn’t a charming prince like Rhaegar Targaryen had been. Jon was a coward, hiding behind those walls and scaring people in order to get servants. He was a bitter man with a talent for tyranny.

She would have killed Jeoffrey for being a tyrant if she had the chance. She would have killed Cersei, The Hound, The Mountain and everyone connected with her family’s downfall, but Arya was just one person against the world and she had been thought her whole life that she wasn’t even worthy of much attention since she lacked her sister’s beauty and talents. She had believed in a fairy tale and that Jon would immediately answer to her pleas since she was his cousin. What a disappointment he had proven to be so far.

If she was a bit more like her mother and sister, she would probably be able to dissuade him. Arya would smile at him, maybe sing him a song and keep him entertained until Jon decided that she was worthy of his help. At the end of the day, Jon wouldn’t help her and Arya wasn’t the sort of woman that would patiently sit and wait for a knight to rescue her. If she was supposed to die anyway, she would rather die fighting for her family and freedom.

Somewhere in the darkness Arya heard a wolf howling. The sound of it made her blood freeze. It couldn’t be him since it was still night, but that that meant that Arya hasn’t considered all the dangers she could find on her way.

Minutes later another sound reached her, only this time it wasn’t a wolf. It was a horse. Another horse running toward her in the dead of night. Arya looked over her shoulders in an attempt to identify who was riding just to see Jon’s enraged face.

“Arya, stop!” He commanded furiously.

Arya growled. She hasn’t expected him to notice her absence so soon. She also didn’t expect him to be that good on horseback. She tried to make her own horse to run faster, but it was too late. Jon managed to get on her way in a matter of seconds.

She tried to think on a way to get rid of him, but her only choice would be to put an arrow through his heart. Arya wouldn’t do that mostly because her father died to protect that man and she would never betray Ned’s memory, but she wouldn’t go back to that castle without a fight either.

“Give up this folly and come back with me.” He urged her while trying to sound a bit more civilized.

“I won’t go back! I would rather die than to live my life as a prisoner!” She answered him fearlessly, making Jon growl out of frustration. “You have the loyalty of my father’s banners! You could have sent me to any of them so they would help me claim my home, but instead you keep me locked up without reason!”

“I have my reasons! You know nothing about this said loyalty!” He answered back. “Now you’ll come back with me quietly or I’ll have to take you down. I don’t want to hurt you, but I’ll drag you back by your hair if needed.”

Arya ignored his threats. She had no choice in the matter, but to grab her bow and arrow and point it at him. Jon laughed at it.

“Are you going to shoot me, girl?” He mocked. “Don’t be ridiculous, Arya! Quit this madness! Come back with me!”

She didn’t even bother to answer him. Her fingers loosened the arrow that flew over Jon’s right shoulder.

“You missed.” He looked at her with his murderous eyes as if he wasn’t really expecting her to have the guts to shoot at him. “If you are done with this game, we can go back.”

“I didn’t miss.” She answered with determination. “It was a warning and you should have realized by now that I won’t go without a fight!”

Arya was so concerned with getting rid of Jon that she hasn’t realized that there were other horses approaching.

“My lady, I suggest that you low this bow.” One of the riders said soberly. “You are surrounded.” Arya looked at the man that she recognized as Grenn.

“The night is too dark and there are wolves and shadow cats around here. It would be for the best to go back.” Another man said.

“You are outnumbered and surrounded. No matter how good you are with your arrows, you won’t be able to take us all down.” Jon insisted. “Let’s go back before the first light.”

Arya sighed and put the bow down. She had four riders around her, all of them armed and with no patience to deal with a girl trying to escape. Jon stood by her left side, riding with regal demeanor and sober face.

They rode silently all the way back. It didn’t take much for her to notice how angry at her Jon was. At least she knew where to go, she just needed a better escaping plan for the next time.

Sam was waiting for them at the gates, with a worried expression upon his chubby face. Arya felt a bit ashamed to look at his face after all the distress she had caused to him. No matter her circumstances, Arya considered Sam to be her friend.

“Everything is ready, Your Highness.” Sam said with dutiful tone. It was the first time Sam addressed Jon by his title in her presence. Actually, that was the first time Jon acted not as an extravagant reclusive man, but like a real prince.

“Thank you, Tarly.” Jon answered without enthusiasm.

The horses were returned to the stables. Those men kept complaining about the cold and what they would do for a few hours of sleep and a warm bed. Those remarks were meant for Arya to feel embarrassed for her foolish attempt of escaping and to some degree it was working. Jon commanded them to go back to their lodges and they vanished from their sight in no time at all.

“You will come with me, my lady.” He said it in a cold and adamant way.

Arya realized that it would be for the best for her to not argue with him especially when both of them were angry enough to consider murdering as an available solution. She followed him silently the whole way up to his private tower and suddenly his allegations of devouring young women seemed to be more plausible.

She would be a fool to not believe that such a man could actually eat human beings. What did she knew about him after all? Her Old Nan had made her believe that Jon was some sort of hero, waiting for the moment his fate would change so he would finally be able to claim his birthright and even help her with her vengeance. Arya had been mistaken the whole time.

Jon took her to a room located under his own chambers. The room was a large one and probably more carefully decorated than any other place inside the castle aside from Jon’s private apartments. There were some old tapestry and heavy curtains, several furs covering what seemed to be a comfortable bed, a drawer, a set of chairs covered in grey velvet.

“You will sleep here from now on.” Jon announced in a sober tone. “My own chambers are right above this one. If you try to escape again I’ll hear it before you can open the door.”

“This is my new cell than.” Arya said without enthusiasm. “At least it is comfortable one.”

“This used to be Benjen’s room.” Jon said as if such revelation would make her feel more grateful to him. “I had it improved in order to accommodate you accordingly to your rank and necessities.”

“If you are expecting me to thank you, it won’t happen.” Arya nearly spat on his face. Jon seemed to ignore her lack of manners.

“I’m not expecting anything of the sort. I already understood that you are nothing but an insolent child that doesn’t understand what is going on. You are impulsive, reckless and terribly ungrateful as far as I am concerned.” Jon answered bluntly. “Do you think I’m playing hide and seek here? I’m not locked up inside this castle because I want, but because I have enemies everywhere and so do you. You would hardly make it to Greywater Watch without calling for unwanted attention or getting yourself killed on the way. The castle is hidden in a dark bog, a place no one has ever managed to invade. Reed is a loyal man, but not even he would ignore how precious you are. He would probably wed you to his heir as soon as he could confirm your identity. He wouldn’t help you to claim your home or avenge your family without such condition. In the end of the day you would still be a prisoner.”

“So now you admit that I am a prisoner.” Arya looked at him with an eyebrow arched, making him blush. “He would still do more for my cause then you.”

“What do you want? What is it that you want from me to torment my life like this?” Jon asked angrily.

“I want my home back and I want my family avenged. If you can’t do it yourself, show me where I can find supporters to my cause. Someone with the guts to do what you won’t. Let me go!”

“In another choice of words you want a war and you want me to fight it for you.” Jon looked at her carefully. “You want the beast to fight for you.”

“I want your help in any way you can offer it. Just don’t keep me a prisoner!” She insisted. “What I must do for you to stop hiding?! What I must do for you to find courage to fight?! You might have given up your birthright and your throne, but don’t expect me to be the lady sitting by a window, combing her hair and waiting for a savior. I will take back what is mine one way or another! I will make them fear the name Stark!”

He looked at her carefully before giving the first step toward her. Jon seemed quite fearsome at that moment. His eyes burning with a silent rage and something Arya couldn’t understand.

“When I was a child I heard the story of my ancestors. Aegon, The Conqueror, was born in exile. A fugitive from the ashes of Old Valyria and lord to an isle with little to offer to someone with dreams of greatness.” Jon said calmly as his body got closer to hers. Arya could not move. In fact, she could barely breathe with his sudden approximation. Jon touched her face gently and yet Arya felt as if he could split her skull in half if so he wanted. “Some say that it was Visenya, his sister-wife, who urged and convinced him to take the continent by whatever means were necessary.”

“I know the story.” Arya answered with a trembling voice.

“Your head is full of stories, isn’t it?” There was a hint of humor in his voice this time. “You are doing just the same she did, aren’t you? Urging me to fight a war that you know that I want to fight, against my better judgment. I suppose that you are my little Visenya.”

“Will you help me?” Arya asked in a whisper.

“At a price.” He answered in a low tone.

“What price?” Her voice barely came out.

“I want you for my wife.” The words came out of his mouth in a low whisper. His mouth was so close to her skin that Arya could feel his hot breath on her cheek. “Since you seem to be so eager for revenge to the point of accepting anyone that would offer it to you, I’ll do it.”

Her eyes widened at his demand and Arya was suddenly aware of the bed and his closeness. That was it. Jon proved to be not the hero of a fairy tale, but the villain of it. Maybe she had expected too much of him. Maybe she had been too naïve to believe that anyone would help her out of goodness. After all, she was dealing with the devil and she would have to pay the price for her wish.

Maybe she could demand a guarantee that he would help her to avenge her family, or maybe she could buy herself a bit of time to offer him something Jon would value so much that he wouldn’t insist upon marrying her.

“I agree.” She answered resigned. His wolfish grin could be seen by the corner of her eye. “But the wedding won’t happen until we march.”

“What?” He looked at her out of confusion.

“I won’t marry you until I see the troops prepared for marching. I won’t give you what you want without a guarantee that you won’t fool me into this.” Arya answered in a defiant way. Jon looked at her in a curious way, as if he could see the wheels turning inside her head.

“You are trying to buy time…For another attempt at escaping perhaps.” He accused. “You won’t succeed, no matter how smart you think you are. If you want a guarantee, fine. You’ll see the troops prepared before the wedding. I’ll take you to the godswood at the eve of our first day of marching.”

She offered him her hand for a compliment, as a signal of good will between them.

“Deal.” Arya said.

Jon took her hand, but instead of shaking it he pulled Arya to his arms and held her tightly before taking her mouth in a rough kiss.

“Now we have a deal.” He whispered it in a husky tone before letting her go. “Sleep well.”

Jon turned his back at her and Arya noticed that he was walking with difficulty, despite his best efforts to look as fearsome and mighty as he could. He closed the door behind him leaving her alone and locked up inside that room just a few seconds before the sunrise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arya's plans obviously failed and now she is back at Castle Black with her brand new guard. I hope you'll like it and reviews are appreciated.  
> Happy Easter people!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for taking so long. I hope you'll like it. Reviews are more than welcome.

Arya could have stayed inside the room. In fact, if Jon was so worried about her running away, he should have put bars at her door, but instead he left it open. Once more her curiosity took the best of her and Arya got up the stairs to follow him.

Jon had left the door of his own chambers half open. She could see him partially. His body was arching and contorting as he growled and cried out of pain. Arya covered her mouth with her hands as she saw him falling to his knees.

Until that very moment, all the stories she had learned and all his attempts to scary her with the dark tale about a curse could have been easily created by a creative mind. It was only when Arya saw his clothes being torn apart as his body was brutally converted into the figure of a massive white wolf that she realized that she was bound to that creature for a lifetime.

The white wolf turned his head, looking straightly to the spot where she stood. His teeth beard to her, in a silent threat. She had seen him and despite the size and undeniable force of that beast it was impossible to ignore how vulnerable he seemed to be. Arya realized that what she had seen was Jon being deprived of his own humanity and the process involved a lot of pain, leaving behind a ferocious beast that was just too tired to even try to fight.

That was it. That was the reason behind his fear of being discovered. He wasn’t strong as the wolf form suggested. The wolf was his weakness, the perfect moment for his enemies to attack and now she knew the most dangerous part of his secret as she waited for his display of anger.

Arya waited for him to growl at her, or even attack out of fear and fury but the attack never came. Instead his massive body felt to the ground, too exhausted to try to defend himself.

She ran away, back to her chambers. Arya locked the door and prayed for Jon not to kill her after seeing him on his most vulnerable moment. She laid on her new bed and covered her head in a juvenile effort of hiding while she tried to convince herself that Jon needed her alive. That wasn’t entirely true and she knew it. If she had never come to that castle, he would probably be safer and with one worry less to consider.

At this point Arya could not tell what frightened her more; the possibility of Jon killing her for knowing too much about his vulnerabilities, or the perspective of marrying him once the army had been assembled. The two options could come to an end if only she could find a way to break his curse. Jon would be free from his wolf form and free to claim what was his by birthright, and she could be freed from an unwanted marriage.

For a brief second, Arya considered to kill him short after his daily shapeshifting. His men would easily rebel against her and only the gods could tell what sort of atrocity she would suffer within their hands.

No…If there was a way out of that trap it certainly was to find a way to break the curse and their chains. All of them free to fight for what they really wanted. She would have to be careful and smart about it.

Jon had kissed her after all. Her first kiss had tasted like revenge and anger, but Arya had noticed that he was interested. Jon was a reclusive young man, with all the vigor and passion of youth tormenting him and she was a woman, even if she wasn’t the most desirable woman. Better than nothing at all, she supposed.

That was a game she didn’t know how to play, but given her circumstances Arya concluded that it would be better to play with the weapons she had at hand. She would buy her time with him and try to find a way to break the curse. She would give him a bit of affection and tenderness too, just enough for him to play by her tune and give her an army. It was a terrible plan, but it was the best she could do. Anyway, if her searches came to a dead end, Arya would have no other option but to fulfill her promise and marry him.

She was tired after such a long night. Tired enough to fall asleep without changing her clothes or even noticing her mind slowly being silenced.

In her dreams she saw a crow flying across a vast field covered in snow and a huge army following the bird. Her own skin was made of steel and her hands covered in blood. By her left side the white wolf walked. He attacked everything that came his way, tearing throats and eating human flesh until the sun was high and he was no longer a wolf, but a dragon.

Wings open, the beast flew. He followed the crow, both casting a dark shadow upon great castles and cities, destroying everything on their way as she rode her horse. The night descent and the flames of the dragon died as the ferocious beast changed once more, this time into a man she already knew.

The man was all covered in black robes and furs. On his head a crown and in his hand a sword. He looked at her and offered his free hand.

When Arya woke up the sky was already dark. Someone had brought her some cheese and bread with a bit of ale. Arya cleaned herself and got dressed before anyone came to summon her.

Her new room had a looking glass for reasons unknown to her. Arya looked at her image reflected and tried to do her best with her hair. She pinched her cheeks lightly to give them some color without much success. She looked just the same old Arya with a plain face, a plain hair and nothing much to show. At least her dress was pretty as all of those Jon had given her.

It would have to do, she supposed. Her cousin wasn’t used to female presence anyway, so why even bother to improve her looks when he had already asked for her hand? Arya sighted at such a memory. At least she was at the right place to put her plan in motion.

It didn’t take much for Sam to come and fetch her. He seemed to be in a hurry and not particularly talkative as usual.

“I understand that congratulations are in order.” He said on their way to Jon’s chambers.

“This is a deal, Sam. We both have something to gain from it, or at least the perspective of a better life than the one we have now.” Arya answered without much enthusiasm.

“I still hope that with time both you could be very happy.” Sam declared solemnly. “He had already set things in motion. Tomorrow two rangers will take his message to the wildling clans.”

“Why?” She asked out of shock.

“We need them to defend the castle and their numbers are impressive. After that we can summon the lords.” Sam answered soberly. “The lords will come for you, my lady. The wildlings will come for Jon.”

“Do you think they will agree to fight side by side? The lords will never accept it.” Arya said immediately.

“They won’t have much of a choice, I’m afraid.” Jon’s voice cut her. Arya turned her head just to face him standing at his door with a very satisfied smile playing on his lips. “The numbers are too great to be neglected and they are all seasoned warriors that might accept fight under my command only.”

“Might, you say? There’s nothing certain about it and you talk as if you had suddenly invented wildfire from scratch.” Arya answered sharply.

“I should leave you two alone.” Sam said and was bluntly ignored.

“We could discuss this over a plate of food. I’m hungry and I guess you must be hungry too.” He suggested while giving passage to Arya.

She nodded and entered his chambers as she would do every night. The table was ready and the smell of food was just too good to be ignored. She took her usual place and poured herself some wine while Jon observed her carefully.

“If you had such an army, why haven’t you tried an attack before?” She asked calmly.

“Your father wouldn’t let me, nor Benjen for that matter. They would be forced to take a side and especially for your father it would be too risky. I respected that. There was also another point. If I took the throne with a wildling army I would be seen as a barbarian. The Faith and the lords wouldn’t support me, and I would face several rebellions. I needed alliances strong enough to grant my reign some legitimacy. This is how important you are to me, my lady.” He answered with a smirk. “Your name is old and you descend from the First Men. You are related to several important noble houses. Your mother was a Tully. I never asked, but since we are talking about it…Do you worship The Seven?”

“I worship the Old Gods. I’m northerner.” She answered in an annoyed tone, making his smile even larger.

“Me too. We can always pretend otherwise if needed. Your name should be more than enough, really.” He took his sit. “I think the wildling will like you very much.”

“Why?” She asked with an eyebrow raised.

“They will find it particularly funny to see me wedded to a woman bold enough to shoot me an arrow.” Jon answered with a hint of humor. “Their women are warriors whenever needed and their weddings are based on the ability of the man to steal his woman from her family. A wildling girl will only settle with a man capable of taking her without having his throat slit.”

“So…You are comparing me to a wildling girl.” She said.

“Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it as an insult, believe me. I admire them a great deal and I think they will respect you for being so…Fierce.”

“Thank you…I suppose.” Arya lowered her gaze and focused on her plate. Jon was right about one thing. She was hungry.

They ate in silence for a while although the expectation hanged on the air. He was waiting for her to ask about his wolf form, Arya could tell. Jon would never speak of it without a provocation. If she wanted to have her curiosity satisfied, it would have to her to ask the forbidden question.

“Does it hurt?” She asked before sipping on her wine. Jon did not look at her.

“Yes.” He answered simply.

“How bad?” Arya once more tested him.

“Enough to make you wish to die.” His voice sounded harsh. “I don’t want to talk about it. You were not supposed to see it.”

“Since I am bound to be your wife, I think I should understand your…Condition.” Arya replied boldly.

“You already knew that I am…A skin-changer. That’s it. That’s all.” Jon answered abruptly.

“You collapsed.” Arya pointed. “We are about to go to war and as far as I can see you are supposed to be not only my husband, but also the general of my army. I need to know how bad you are affected by the change. I need to know the risks.”

“For a couple of hours I’m useless. The change is exhausting and painful, but changing back to my human form is quite smooth in comparison. Any attacks at sunrise would be problematic to me and unless you want me running around a battlefield all naked we should avoid attacks at sunset too.” Jon replied in an annoyed tone.

“Nocturnal attacks can work for a while, but…This will be quite problematic.” Arya said calmly. “We should think about commanders to take the position while you are detained.”

“I already thought about it. It’s quite obvious, really.” Jon replied while turning his attentions back to his food. “You will be trained to command in my absence.”

“Do you think they will follow me? My father’s army?”

“They will fight for you because you are Ned’s daughter. You’ll have trustworthy and seasoned warriors by your side to help you reinforce your capacity to command and help you if needed. As for the wildlings…I already told you that you will make quite an impression. They will come because they owe me some favors. You will lead them because you are my second in command and because you have the right temper.”

“Should I understand that you trust me to command after last night?” Arya asked skeptically.

“You have as much to lose as I have. If we fail, it will be death for both of us. I am your best chance to get your revenge and claim back your home and you are my best chance of getting out of this place. As you said, it is a deal and we both have something to profit from it.”

Arya lowered her eyes for a millisecond. It was time to approach an even more delicate matter. She bit her bottom lip, as she usually did whenever she was faced with an embarrassing situation or even when she was about to lie.

“What was the kiss all about?” It came out of her mouth almost like a whisper. At that moment, Arya Stark tried to forget everything that she was and wanted, in order to get from him some piece of vital information.

“I’m sorry for being so bold.” He answered in a very sober way. “You are a lady of the highest birth and I’m not supposed to treat with so little consideration. I was just…curious.”

“Why?” Arya asked looking straightly at him.

Jon looked at her and instead of his usual sour face and strict demeanor, something inside him seemed to soften. He closed his hands on a fist as if he was trying hard to control himself for some reason.

“I’ve told you before.” He answered gently. “You are a pretty sight to my tired eyes.”

“You must be blind.” She answered with her usual sarcasm. Jon smiled at her in an indulgent way.

“Maybe I am. Maybe I’m just a fool for agreeing to unleash hell upon the seven kingdoms in order to impress a woman that will never care much about me.” His eyes didn’t flinch. Jon looked at her with bittersweet frustration and resignation. “You gave me your word that you would be my wife and I’m not stupid, Arya. Your terms for acceptance were quite clarifying. You will buy as much time as you can and try to find a way out of this arrangement.”

“Why you accepted my terms then?” She asked. “I can’t escape. I’m under your protection and I have no friends here. You have everything in your hands and yet you let me buy time. You confuse me, Jon.”

“Your terms were reasonable. In your place I would probably do the same.” He said as a matter of fact. “I might turn into a wolf every day, but I’m not a beast, Arya. I’m giving you time to adjust and accept the idea. I’m giving you time to think about the great things we can do together and…Never mind. Good night, my lady.”

He rose from his sit and turned his back at her as he walked away. Arya rose from her own chair and followed him in an impulse. No! He wouldn’t turn his back at her in such a way. Not without an answer. Not without explaining why he was teasing her like a cat playing with a mouse before eating it.

Arya held his arm in an attempt of making Jon stop and look at her. He turned his head slowly, but avoided looking at her. Jon looked to her hand instead and gently covered it with his own hand.

“Tell me what you were going to say.” Arya demanded. “The real reason for you to give me time. What this game you are playing is all about?”

Jon finally raised his gaze to look at her in the eyes.

“I don’t play games.” He answered calmly. “You gave me your word and soon or later you will be my wife, but…”  His hand caressed her face as a sad smile crossed his face. “I would rather have you coming to my bed willingly.”

“You let your hopes soar.” She answered in a defiant tone.

“Maybe.” He gave her a half smile. “I still have my pride, though. If you find the idea so repulsive, you shouldn’t stay so close. You tempt me and I am afraid that I’m not strong enough to resist you.”


	8. Chapter 8

When she laid  on her bed that night Arya felt every muscle in her body sore. Despite of the pain, the smile on her face was a broad one.  Gren  was a good teacher and it was the first time anyone ever let her to swing a sword properly  without mentioning that as a lady she wasn’t supposed to learn those things . Jon remained close all the time  in his wolf form , looking at her practice with full attention and eventually nodding his massive head in approval.

During that month  Arya believed that there was hope for her still, even if the odds of them being labeled as  traitors  and got dead in the process  were great. For the first time  Arya believed him to be  on her side even if trusting Jon  was still very difficult.

Sam had thought her about military tactics and a bit of military history in order for her to cover the basics of command. She had seen her father talking to his men and demanding their respect. If his banners would listen to her was still another matter entirely but Arya was sure that it couldn’t be that difficult.

She must have fallen asleep. When Arya opened her eyes the first thing she noticed was that her fireplace had been lit and Jon was sitting across the room, waiting patiently for her to say something.

“What time is it?” She asked lazily.

“Late. You missed dinner.” He answered calmly. He didn’t seem to be angry or disappointed with her. In fact he seemed to be almost satisfied in some way.

“I’m sorry. I was tired.” She answered while sitting on her bed.

“That much I could figure out.” He flashed her a shy smile. “I didn’t want to disturb you. You seemed to be so serene in your sleep that I couldn’t help admiring such ability.”

“Don’t you sleep at all?” She asked curiously.

“Generally after my changing into my w olf  form I can manage a few hours of sleep. When I’m human, sleep seems to be quite a waste of time.”

“It must be tiresome.” Arya concluded. “Maybe this is the reason behind your grumpiness.”

“You are probably right.  Your progress with the sword is remarkable, I must say. ”  He said it gently.

“Thank you.” She felt her cheeks burn in answer. “Do you think it will be enough for me to command them?”

“I don’t know, but we will find out soon enough. I received an answer from the r angers. The clans are marching .  Thormund  and  Mance Rayder  march ahead of four thousand men. I think it’s a good number to talk some sense into your banners.”

“I can only hope that they won’t fight each other. It would be a disaster.” Arya added. “Any news from the south?”

“The talking of rebellion is strong. I’ve wrote a few letters already to those I believe to be worthy of trust, asking them to keep the talking. Add some oil to the bonfire if you must.  When it’s time, I will ask you to write them yourself and summon them to our cause, since you are their suzerain lady.”

“They know who you are?” Arya asked him carefully.

“Reed knows. The  Mormonts  too. I believe that your father had warned White Harbor since I’ve always received some generous donations via East Watch. It’s not much, but it’s enough to bring us half of the North when Lady Arya Stark summon all of her banners to witness her wedding to Jon Targaryen, the First of His Name.”

Arya lowered her face a bit and took a deep breath. There was that matter still and she was nowhere close to find a way out of Jon’s curse and put an end to the talking of marriage. She couldn’t remember Old Nan’s tale properly. There should be a way out of that curse, something she could do in order to help the prince without sacrificing herself in the process, but Arya couldn’t remember it.

“Have your father ever mentioned a betrothed to your hand at all?” Jon askes, dragging her back to reality all of a sudden.  “Any previous contract that could become an obstacle?”

“He never mentioned any names, but I believe he was looking for someone among his banners. My sister was meant to be a queen, while father would be glad if I ever accepted a man at all. Mother must have hoped that I would find a good match south, but it never happened.” Arya answered calmly. “Once father told me that I would  marry a king and rule his castle. That my sons would be knights, princes, lords and even High  Septon , but that was the fate meant for my sister. I wanted to be a lord. I wanted to rule my own castle and be my own person.”

Jon sighted at her speech before looking at her carefully.

“Your sister was promised to the prince, and yet your father told you that you would marry a king. Quite a funny thing to say.”

“He was trying to comfort me. He would have said anything to do it.” Arya defended her father.

“No doubt, but maybe he was doing something else.  Benjen  wanted me to marry one of Lord Stark’s daughters  since I can remember . ”

“ Y ou have told me that my father had never encouraged you to pursue your birthright. Why would he agree with such an idea, if he wasn’t kin to your ambition? It just doesn’t make any sense. Maybe you are just being delusional. You know what you demanded  of me and your said honor is now weighting on you and you decided that you need an excuse to go on.” Arya replied sharply. “Just stop it. You did what you did. If you want me to like you at all just don’t use my father’s name as an excuse ever again.”

“Fine.” Jon sighted. “He might have foreseeing it. You will marry a king and your sons will be princes, knights and lords , but I have no objections to you being your own person. You will com mand your banners into battle and I’ll proudly announce that I have the honor to call you my ideal matte.”

“You are terribly romantic. Do you know that?” She rolled her eyes. “ I almost believe that you have dreamed about your wedding day your whole life, like my sister used to do.”

“Would it be so terrible? I rarely had the chance to get near to a woman and I’ve always knew that no woman would ever tolerate my condition. My father was known as a romantic fool and my mother wasn’t any better , so I guess I have cause to enjoy the idea of having you for my bride. Have you ever thought about your wedding day  at all ? The sort of man you would like to marry?”

“I don’t think so.” Arya replied while trying to remember any occasion she might have enticed such thoughts. “I guess I always knew that I would have to deal with whatever they threw at me. Sansa was the eldest daughter and the accomplished one. She could ch o ose anyone. I would have to be happy for being picked at all.  I remember that I didn’t like it when she was pared with  Jeoffrey  at a banquet , while I had to endure chubby Tommen. Now I think Tommen was the good one. He was shy and polite to me. He liked kittens and he wanted to be a knight even if he couldn’t fight properly. ”

“Now I see why you like Sam so much.” Jon muffled a laugh, while Arya made a face.

“He was just nice really.” Arya shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t think I would have picked him for myself, but he was nice.”

“Who would you pick?” Jon insisted. “What do you want from your  future husband?”

“Someone who doesn’t care for my lack of manners and my plain face. Someone who treats me well and  doesn’t feel threatened by my opinions. A riding company would be nice too.” Arya answered plainly, making him smile a bit.  “I wouldn’t mind a pretty face to look at.”

“I don’t know about the pretty face, but I could give you all  the rest.” Jon said gently. “Would you like to ride with me tomorrow?”

“Ride where?” She asked curiously and suddenly thrilled by the possibility of getting out of the castle.

“North of the Wall.  We will meet some friends of mine.”  Jon said gently. “I suppose you are hungry. I’ll ask someone to bring you some broth, cheese and bread.”

“Won’t you eat with me?”  That almost innocent question seemed to make him truly happy to the point of Jon trying to conceal a very satisfied smile.

“If you want me to…I’ll bring your food myself.”  He rose from his sit and went out of the room shutting the door behind him.

Arya sighted at his sudden enthusiasm. After those months under his care, even Arya had to admit that he had reasons to feel happy for such a poor perspective of marriage. He was lonely  and given to what she had heard his men saying, although Jon called them friends the only person he felt comfortable with was Sam . The “Black Brothers” as they called themselves, owned him loyalty and respect since Jon had saved them from death, hunger or offered them shelter. They treated her as a princess and even addressed her as such every now and then . When she told them to stop all they had to say was that she would be Jon’s wife and even if he was a no one, they would treat her like a princess any way.

They were grateful to whatever Jon have done to them and they were happy for the fact that he had found himself a companion, even if Arya had no real choice on the matter. Jon wasn’t entirely bad when he wasn’t growling at someone, he was mostly interested in conversations about whatever she wanted to talk or even learning one thing or tw o about her life at Winterfell. Even if he had proven to be a sort of decent man, Arya hasn’t chosen that fate for herself.

Thinking of it left a bitter taste on her mouth.  She wasn’t ready to sacrifice her freedom, but she wasn’t kin to the idea of making Jon suffer more than he already had. Breaking the curse was the only way, but more than a month had passed without her finding a single clue about how to do it.

It didn’t take long for Jon to come back, carrying a platter with a bowl of broth, some cheese and bread, and a jar of ale.

“Here it is.” He said happily.

“Thank you.” Arya whispered.

Arya ate quietly while observing Jon sitting across the room, eventually having a bit of the bread and sipping some ale. His face was handsome, she finally concluded. Not like a southern man, but he was handsome in a rough way. If it wasn’t for his curse, he would be a very desirable man, she supposed. As he looked at the fire burning at the fireplace, Arya couldn’t help thinking about his father and how  Rhaegar  was said to be an intelligent and refined man. The refinement was almost lost in Jon, but there was intelligence and a bit of tragedy in him to make the wolf prince in to sad and pretty song.

Jon turned his head to look at her. There was no smile, there was no talk, just his grey eyes gazing at her with curiosity and a hint of fire. His long fingers tapping over the wood of the table, in a way it felt like they were caressing something.  She thought about his fingers running down the skin of her neck, tracing the line of her jaw, holding her face, pinning her down to her bed as his harsh mouth kissed  her .

The thought of it made her shiver. It felt frightening and forbidden as much as it felt thrilling and extremely seductive.

“You told me that you worship the Old Gods.” Arya said when she finished her bowl of broth.

“Yes, I do. Why?” Jon asked calmly.

“There is a gods’ wood here?” Arya asked.

“North of the Wall. I can take you there tomorrow  if you like.” His voice sounded kind and somehow hopeful.

“I would like that.”

“Will you pray for a way out of this place?” Jon asked soberly.

“Maybe.” Arya replied while turning her face away from him.

He rose once more from his sit and walked the short path to her bed. The blood in her  vanes ra n cold . Jon sat by her side, making it impossible for her to look away.

What had been a thought suddenly became reality. His fingers brushed her skin and traced her jaw line gently. For a moment Arya couldn’t breathe, her heart was beating fast and her head spinning.

“Maybe you should pray for our victory instead.” Jon suggested. “I may not be what you dreamed of, but we are each other’s best chance of a life. The sooner you understand that I do not wish to keep you locked up, the better.”

“Yet here I am.” Arya answered while looking at him in the eyes.  “I’m only alive and safe because you chose to have me. I’m under your protection and my position is vulnerable. I can’t walk away. Until now you chose to keep a respectful distance, but there will come a day that you will ignore that door and claim your prize. In fact, you could do it just now and I would be powerless to stop you.” Jon sighed in answer.

“You are right. I could lay you down just now.” He whispered to her. “ I could undress you and take my pleasure from you. Instead here I am. I’m doing my best to show you that I can be good for you, even when your smell fills the air. You are suffocating me, clouding my judgment, making my mouth water and it hurts, Arya. I want you so badly that at this very moment  that  I could promise you anything. I could be anything you want me to be jus t you have your body under mine.”

“Why do you resist them? I have nowhere else to go. I can’t fight you.” Her voice was shaken.

“Because if I do it, I’ll give you proof that I am a monster while I only want you to see me as a man .” His voice was low and heavy as if it was really difficult for him to even breathe at that moment. “I have a beast inside of me, one that knows no rules ,  only instinct. One that I reject and refuse to be. This curse can’t be broken, but I won’t let the beast win  because I want you to care for me.”

“I hope you realize that it won’t happen.” Arya answered fiercely and for a second she thought Jon was about to cry.

“It won’t stop me to fight.” H is answer came with a struggle.

“One day you’ll realize that you are dreaming of a woman that it’s not me. I’m not your promised princess. I’m not a queen. I’m not this perfect woman you dreamed about out of loneliness.” Arya answered in a dark tone. “I’ve done terrible things. Things that would disgust you ,  in order to survive.”

“Give me the worst of you and I’ll still take you to the woods in a white dress. There’s nothing you can throw at me that will make me change my mind.”

“Because you can’t. You need me and my name to fight a war. ”

“One day you will come to realize that even if I didn’t need you, I would still be right here.” His mouth was close to hers. Arya could smell mint on his breath and a bit of ale too. His hand was holding her gently as she could see his body shaking a bit .

His lips brushed against hers in a kiss that tasted of tears and silent rage. Jon’s smell made her head spin and ache, his hands held her as if she was made of glass. It felt like he was fighting against the world  to not hurt her and yet that kissed felt like a burning mark. Hot and permanent.

It was like being torn apart by claws. As if the beast in her had recognized the beast in him and it was now desperate to be free.

“Pack some things. We will spend two days out.” Jon said while his hands released her . “We shall go as soon as I wake up tomorrow.”

Jon rose from her bed and walked away from her without looking back . Jon closed the door behind him. Arya closed her eyes and threw her body on her bed, while feeling the world spin around her as she noticed that she had wanted him to stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are highly appreciated. I hope you'll like it.


	9. Chapter 9

She could barely sleep that night after that kiss. Her mind kept wondering about how close Jon’s body had been, his hands holding her head, his breath against her skin…It was maddening and frustrating, especially because Arya had avoided to think of him as anything but means to achieve her personal interests. She didn’t want him. If anything she should feel disgusted by his proximity and yet something inside her had changed. With great distress, Arya Stark realized that she had wanted him to do everything he said he could do to her.

In her sleep the scene of that kiss kept coming back, always with a different end to it and so vivid that Arya woke up several time. What in the seven hells was happening to her?

When Sam knocked at her door to call her, Arya was already awaken and ready to go anywhere Jon had planned to take her. She had packed some items she thought to be necessary even if Sam had already prepared the needed provisions for a short trip.

When she reached the courtyard, there were two horses prepared and Jon as patiently waiting for her.

“You’ll have to take them alone for a while.” Sam informed her. “Jon’s horse will be tied up to yours, but once he changes into human form he will be able to ride properly.”

“Fine. I can do it.” Arya answered immediately. “Anything else I need to know?”

“Before the nightfall, give him the bag with his clothes. We don’t want a naked man running around.” Sam replied with a laugh. “It’s freezing out there and not comfortable at all, but as long as you keep yourself warm you shall be fine, my lady.”

“I’ll remember that.” Arya smiled at him. “I guess we should go.”

Jon nodded his head in agreement. Arya mounted her horse and took a deep breath while waiting for the northern gates to be opened. Her heart was beating fast with excitement. All the dreams she have had in her life about great adventures seemed to be a reality now and although the danger was undeniable Arya had never felt so alive before.

The journey itself was a quiet one. Jon walked around her, only taking the lead every now and then to guide her along the right path. The weather was harsher there and the wind felt like a thousand knifes cutting her face.

They walked for an hour or less until they reached a god’s wood. Jon pointed his nose to the heart tree before turning his back at her and walking away. Arya understood that he wanted her to have some privacy while praying and she felt grateful for it. She walked toward the bone white tree and looked at its painted face for a long while.

“You have brought me to this place when I asked for help and guidance, but I can’t understand what I am supposed to do now.” She whispered, hopping that the gods would listen to her. “He promised me my revenge. He will give me a war only if I marry him. Why? Why should I pay this price? Would it be too much to ask for something that is mine and mine alone? I want to find a way out of this promise. I want to help him, I do! I just don’t want to fall into another cage. I pray you for an answer. I pray you for a way to break this curse so we can both be free. My father prayed for you all the time and yet you let him die. My brothers…They were good and honorable! Rickon was just a baby! Why didn’t you save them? Haven’t we done enough? When will it be enough?”

Arya hasn’t realized the tears in her eyes. It felt like she had been holding them for a lifetime and now they had broken loose. She sobbed for a while and punched the old tree as if she could punch a god. She felt abandoned and lost, confused and tired. She had nowhere else to go, no one who cared about her at all, only Jon and that ice castle.

She would be a queen of a frozen waste, wife to a cursed man that spent a life hidden out of fear and paranoia. She had wanted help and safety, not another cage. Arya cried openly for a long time. She thought about her father and how she wished him to be there with her. She missed her mother and Robb too. She missed Bran and Rickon especially and her heart ached at the memory of her brothers laughing together. She missed even Sansa, who never saw her as anything but a disappointment. Arya missed having a family, a pack as her father called it.

After a while Jon came back looking at her carefully with his now blood red eyes. Arya tried to get her head up and wipe away her tears. He would never see her crying. He would never see her weakness no matter what. She would face whatever fate the gods had in store for her with stubborn dignity.

He came around eventually, not in a threatening way like the beast he was. He seemed to be concerned, worried about her even. His nose sniffed the air around her before touching her cheek in a cold and wet kiss that made her muffle a laugh. It was funny how she couldn’t get mad at him when he was in his wolf form.

After a while they went back to their way north to meet with whoever those friends of him were. It didn’t take long for her to see a fire built at the borders of the forest and several tents build up to protect a bunch of men. Jon stopped suddenly and looked at the sky as if checking how long it would take until nightfall. They had half an hour at most. Arya passed him the bag with his clothes and Jon disappeared among the trees for a few minutes while she waited out of the sight of the camp.

Jon came back in his human form after a while, dressed in his usual black attires and wearing a heavy cloak made of fur. He looked regal and powerful, Arya concluded. There was something wild about his looks that made her wonder how well Westeros would accept a king that lacked the southern refinement.

“Who we will see here? We will talk with the wildlings?” Arya asked curiously. Jon nodded.

“Their chiefs to be more specific.” Jon answered soberly. “We are expected.”

“What should I do? How am I supposed to act?” Arya suddenly felt nervous.

“Be yourself, I guess. You’ll notice that they are not threatened by a woman that speaks her mind.” Jon answered almost mindlessly while he searched among their belongings for something. “Ahah!” He picked a long package and gave it to her. “This is for you. In case things get bad and I’m not around to protect you, this should do.”

Arya opened the package to find a slender and delicate sword. The scabbard and hilt were covered in soft grey leather, smooth like sin and gentle to the touch.

“Do you think I’ll need it?” She asked cautiously while examining the blade with awe and adoration.

“I doubt it, but you are a pretty woman walking around the camp. Even if you have already been taken, there might be some that will consider the idea of stealing you to be tempting. It’s just a precaution.” Jon said with a hint of concern in his voice. “It’s a braavosi sword. I found it to be more suitable to your body constitution. How does it feel? Is the balance right to you?”

“Seems to be perfect.” She swayed the sword gently. “Thank you, Jon.”

“It has a name, like all the best swords.” He smiled at her with affection. “Can you guess it?”

“It’s so skinny. It reminds me of a needle.” Arya answered and immediately remembered of all the needlework classes she had tried to avoid and all the times septa Mordane told her that she would never have her sister’s talent.

“You do have a sharp mind. I thought the name to be suitable to a young lady like you.”

“You wouldn’t say that if I have told you that I hate needles and needlework.” Arya said looking at him carefully. “I tried to escape my lessons about a dozen times.”

“I guess this one you’ll like better. Think of it as our private joke.” He smiled at her while he offered her his hand. “First lesson: Stick with the pointy end.”

“I know which end to use.” She answered him sourly, making Jon laugh.

Soon enough two sentinels came their way. Jon greeted them and asked to be taken to Mance Rayder. The sentinels escorted them across them camp, while thousands of wildlings looked at them with curiosity.

The tent they were taken to was a big one in which a few men talked to each other while a bard played The Dornishman’s Wife. They all shut their mouths once Jon stepped inside the tent. Arya just felt glad for the warmth in it.

“You have a lot of nerve to call us all the way here.” A man of tremendous figure nearly roared. “What do you want from us, wolf?”

“A private talk for a start.” Jon answered bluntly. The man waved his head and nearly every one left the tent. Only Jon, Arya, the man and the bard remained.

“Satisfied?” The man asked. Jon gave him a broad smile.

“I’m really happy to see you again, Thormund. How are your kids?” Jon asked gently.

“Same old thing. My daughter got herself a man now. A useless one, but she seems to be quite happy.” Thormund said in a boisterous way. “Speaking of women. Who’s this pretty thing you brought with you?”

“I would like you to meet my woman.” Jon said while making sign for her to approach. “This is Arya of House Stark.”

“It is very much Targaryen of you to settle with a woman of your own blood.” The bard said. “Lord Stark’s daughter isn’t it?”

“Yes. Did you know my father?” Arya asked calmly.

“Oh I did. I’ve seen you two sitting at a high table, near the royal family and I don’t like what this could mean to us.” The bard said. “What do you want, boy?”

“Once you’ve promised me help whenever I asked for it in repayment for what I did to your people. I’m asking it now, Mance. I need your army and I need you to fight for me.” Jon said plainly.

“Why would we do that?” Thormund asked.

“Because it’s the honorable thing to do.” Jon answered. “Because you know that with me on the throne the freefolk could have some benefit.”

“Why do you bring the girl along with you?” Mance questioned while looking at her.

“She is to be my queen and as Lady Stark of Winterfell she brings the whole North to my cause.”

“I don’t see a queen. I see nothing but a girl that should be hiding in a tower while combing her hair.” Mance answered. “Why do you follow him, girl? Is it because of his pretty face?”

“Seven hells, no!” Arya answered bluntly making Thormund laugh. “I’m not following him. I’m here on my own. Rightful king he might be but I come here because I have my own ambitions.”

“A crow on your pretty dead perhaps?” Mance suggested.

“I don’t care for a crown. I want heads on a spike. I want those who betrayed and slain my family to pay for it.” Arya answered fiercely. “He told me you could help with that.”

“We don’t care about Southern Kings and their politics. I’m sorry girl, but I won’t fight for you.”

“You won’t have a chance like this again, Mance. We both know what your people fears the most and the only way of protecting the following generations is getting south of the Wall. We are offering you that.” Jon answered soberly.

“Now we are talking.” Thormund laughed loudly. “How would you do that?”

“Fight for us and you’ll have free passage. I’m willing to give you the Wall.” Jon answered in a firm tone.

“And land to be cultivated.” Arya added. “There’s a large stripe of land that needs to be cultivated along the Wall. As long as you fight for us and swear fealty, the land is yours.”

“She talks like a king.” Mance looked at Jon curiously. “Your father would have had us all killed, girl. Why should I trust your word?”

“I’m not my father, and I know how to count. Elect your own leaders among your ranks; keep your gods and your traditions. I ask for your help and as long as you keep the peace among my men and pay the lawful tributes, you’ll have land and protection. The land I talk about is mine to dispose of.”

“The freefolk don’t kneel in front of any king or queen.” Thormund warned her. “You should have told her about our ways, Jon.”

“She would still do as she pleases. I have very little control over her. In fact I don’t have control at all. She threw me an arrow once. Nearly hit my eye.” Jon answered. “She has a point though. Wouldn’t it be for the best to put an end to this quarrel? Your people would be safe south and with means to provide their own sustenance as long as the laws are respected. This is what you have always wanted, Mance. We are the first monarchs to actually listen to your people’s version of the fact. We could do great things together.”

“We’ll see that.” Mance answered abruptly. “Mean while, you stay with us. I’ll see that you have a tent to rest. We shall drink to your marriage to this lady. It’s not every day a man manages to take a rose from Winterfell, and this one must have Bael’s blood to make you come all the way here.”

“Thank you, Mance.”

“I haven’t done anything yet, so shut up.” He said sourly. “Lady Arya, you are a most welcome sight here even without your offer.”

********

That night had been a torture.

While he had been sitting across the room, keeping a respectful distance from his lady, something happened to her and it had been enough make the beast in him come out.

The sudden change in her smell…It had hit him like a punch, making him dizzy and blind to reason. Jon couldn’t blame her for such a thing. It was just another nuisance caused by his curse. Damned be his bloody nose for picking every change in her scent. Those changes were mostly out of control and there was no way to tell if Arya’s sudden excitement had been caused by him or any other thoughts she might have had. He couldn’t help wondering thought. What kind of thoughts she had while looking at him like that?

Another second in her presence and he would have thrown his honor away. There was nothing he wanted more than to pin Arya down to her bed and take her. All sorts of unholy and shameful thoughts have crossed his mind. Her skin against his palms, her smell, her heart beating against his own…To have her naked under him, moaning and calling his name out of pleasure as he entered her…

That was just disgusting. Arya had made it no secret that if she had another way to have her vengeance, she would have never accepted him as her husband. She had told him in no uncertain ways that she would never have him in her bed willingly, no matter what. Jon was getting desperate and unreasonable out of lust to the point of nearly giving in to the beast and letting it to take over. That was what truly made him a monster.

He got restless that night. The memory of that kiss kept coming back over and over again along with the sensorial memory of her smell. He had hoped that their short trip to Mance’s camp would keep his urges under control along with his mind, all to no avail.

Jon had heard Arya’s prays to the old gods. It was actually the first time he had seen her dropping the façade and letting her fears to come out in a flow of rage and indignation. She had asked why she should pay such a price for her vengeance. She had asked for a way to break his curse so they both could be free…Despite her stubborn attitude, Arya had a gentle heart. She was afraid of hurting him, so she wanted to break his curse as some sort of compensation for her rejection.

If only there was a way out of it. What wouldn’t he give for a chance of being a man and nothing more? If things were as they should be, Jon would never be troubled with a curse and one day he would have gone to Winterfell to visit his uncle and cousins. He would have been received with honors. He would have asked Arya to dance with him and maybe then she would be swoon by the idea of being his queen.

Arya was crying. She was actually sobbing violently and it broke his heart to realize how much she was afraid and desperate. She had lost everything and he had been uncaring and cruel to her. He couldn’t make her family come back to life, but he could be family to her if only she would allow him to. He could at least be her friend.

Jon had meant the sword to be a special gift to her and after seeing her crying he just gave up any romantic notions he might have had about that moment. He gave it to her because she could need some kind of protection and she seemed to have liked it well enough.

It was when she spoke to Mance that Jon suddenly realized that she had some mysterious effect over him. Whenever Arya talked he could barely look away. He hadn’t anticipated her offer and to some point it had sounded like a dangerous suggestion, but Jon remembered hearing something like that in one of Benjen’s conversations with Lord Star. A second line of defense south of the Wall. It was clever and the wildlings had interest in that kind of offer. Mance and Tormund would accept it eventually, while Jon realized that despite her dislike for him, Arya had been the perfect choice for his queen.

Mance had given them a tent as promised and it felt good to have a warm place to rest. He didn’t want Arya to sleep without any sort of comfort in the wilderness. She deserved at least a decent place to sleep.

“Do you think they will help us?” She asked eventually.

“They will.” Jon replied while choosing another cloak for her to wear. “Last winter has been a harsh one and Mance is desperate to get his people south before another comes. You were quite generous with them.”

“Father had talked about this line of defense for years, but no lord would accept to cultivate those lands because of the weather. If the wildlings can manage to survive under these harsh conditions, I guess these lands would be a welcome improvement.” Arya answered plainly.

“You just ignored their traditions. It might not be that easy to keep them under control.” Jon warned her. “They won’t follow or respect you unless you prove to be a worthy leader.”

“I suppose this is why I need you. You better be a warrior and a decent leader.” Arya replied sourly as he placed the cloak around her shoulders to keep her warm. He couldn’t help smiling at her with kindness. He kissed her forehead in a sign of affection.

“Don’t worry. They respect me well enough. As for my abilities as a warrior, I have fought with them before. They know me and this is a good thing.” He tried to reassure her. “We should join them at the fires tonight. It’s usually an interesting experience.”

“How interesting?” Arya asked raising a brow.

“Food, ale, dance, awkward stories provided by Tormund, good chances of seeing a giant.” Her eyes widened at that.

“Really?!”

“I’ll never forget the first time I’ve seen one. I was thrilled, but if you see one just make sure you won’t stare for too long. They don’t like it. Are you warm enough?” Jon asked out of caution.

“I think so. Lead the way.” Arya said with a hint of enthusiasm. 

As he had presumed, Thormund was sitting with his men around a fire. There was food and ale to share and they were immediately invited to take a sit among them. The talk of war was a talk for another day.

He soon noticed how easily Arya could make friends. She started to talk with the men about their weapons and ask questions about all sort of things. Soon there was a small group around her, with a few spearwives among them. She was laughing and smiling in a way he hasn’t seen until that night and Jon could help feeling mesmerized by the sight of her.

“How come that a grumpy and sad man like you found yourself a girl like her?” Tormund questioned.

“Lucky I guess.” Jon answered without much enthusiasm. “Our marriage won’t be like you think. We both have something to gain. It’s more like an alliance for convenient reasons.”

“I’ve seen you with this face before, though. I know when you find a girl to get you soft in the head.” Tormund insisted. “You could have chosen a simple life among us a long time ago. At this time you could have had several pups with either Ygritte or Val if only you could accept that the wolf is a part of you.”

“This is not my place, old friend.” Jon waved is head in denial. “I have a name and a destiny.”

“You could have chosen happiness instead, but that’s in the past now. It seems you’ll get what you have always wanted. Your damn crown, a kingdom, a castle and a pretty southern lady to give you a bunch of pups.”

“Don’t call her southerner. She won’t like it.” Jon smiled lightly. “She is a good girl. I’m sure she would have been a superb spearwife if given the chance.”

“She talked like one.” Tormund laughed. “Look at her. It isn’t difficult to understand why you came here.”

“Am I such a fool to change my whole life for the sake of a woman?” Jon questioned mindlessly.

“Aye. You are that stupid.” Tormund boasted. “Does she know about your condition?”

“Yes. She knows and she is determinate to find a cure for it. I guess she is in denial or something.” He answered without much enthusiasm. “She thinks…Arya thinks that if she found a cure we could both be free. She wouldn’t have to get married for me to rule and her to have vengeance.”

“You do like the complicated ones.” Tormund sighted.

For the first time Arya seemed to be happy. It pained Jon to notice how much suffering he had ad to her already troubled life. He was a cursed man indeed. Even when he wished nothing but to give her what she wanted, his condition imposed that inescapable sorrow.

Eventually Arya sat by his side yawning and rubbing her eyes. He should pay more attention to those things. She was probably tired and just because he rarely slept it didn’t mean Arya didn’t need some rest.

“We should probably go back to the tent.” He suggested.

“Yes, we should. I could really use a few hours of sleep.” She answered sweetly.

They walked together back to their tent. Arya improvised a bed with several furs to keep her warm in a corner, while Jon found himself a place to sit. He looked at her, laying at her bed with her hair spread like a halo around her face. She looked beautiful in a way he found hard to describe.

“Won’t you sleep?” She asked him with her eyes half shut.

“I told you. It’s a waste of time.” Jon replied “Besides, you took all the furs.”

“You can have some if you lay here. You should be rested for tomorrow.” The suggestion sounded almost like a dream. Jon looked at her in confusion, wondering if he might have misunderstood her.

“I thought the idea of me sharing your bed was something that disgusted you.” Jon answered bitterly.

“Not when I’m cold.” Arya replied in her usual stubborn way. “If you don’t want it, fine! I won’t repeat this offer.”

Jon didn’t say anything this time. He rose from his sit and took away the heaviest part of his garments before lying beside her under the pile of furs. He could understand why she asked him to lay by her side. Her feet were cold and he guessed her hands would be too. He put his arm around her waist to bring Arya’s body closer to his own.

For a second she didn’t even breathe and Jon could hear her heart beating fast in her chest while her body trembled a little bit. He guessed that it wasn’t just the cold that made her shiver. Arya was afraid of what he might do to her.

The truth was that he wanted to take advantage of such an opportunity. He wanted to be her lover for the night and show her that they could make that arrangement work in a pleasant way for both of them.

“I really liked the sword.” She whispered within his arms, waking him up from his endless thoughts.

“I thought you wouldn’t like if I had given you a dress or some piece of jewelry.” Jon answered in a lazy and tired tone.

“I don’t dislike those things. I just like swords better. I used to get my brother’s play sword and challenging him to duels.” Arya said in a melancholic tone. “I wanted to be a knight, not a lady. Mother usually felt desperate about it.”

“What Ned said about it?” Jon asked gently while savoring the smell of her hair.

“He hired a teacher for me to learn how to fight properly. Mother never knew about it.” Arya replied in a mischief tone, making Jon muffle a laugh.

“It must have helped you to survive in the end.” Jon pointed out.

“He told me that your mother would have used a sword if grandfather Rickard had allowed it. Father believed she would have had a different end if that was the case.” Arya said “What do you think?”

“I think that I don’t know. She might have run away with my father anyway. With or without swords and curses, my grandfather wouldn’t have allowed them to be happy no matter what.” Jon sighed. “If things were as they should be, my parents and yours would be alive. I would be a normal man and we would have known each other for a life time now. We could have been friends.”

“I thought we were.” Arya whispered.

“You often refer to me as a burden. Something you would gladly dispose off if you could. What kind of friendship is that?” Jon pointed.

“I don’t dislike you as you think. I just don’t want to marry you, or anyone else for that matter. And keeping me locked up inside a castle isn’t the best way to start a friendship, if you want my opinion.”

“You have a point.” Jon agreed with reluctance. “I’m sorry for our bumpy start. I didn’t want to scare you and if I knew any other way to keep us safe, I would have tried it.”

“Apologies accepted.” Arya answered calmly before yawning. “We should sleep now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you'll like it and reviews are highly appreciated.


	10. Chapter 10

Jon didn’t sleep that night as usual, both because he was afraid of being too close to her when he changed into his wolf form and because he wanted to enjoy that moment as much as possible.

Arya smelled of wildflowers, pine trees and fresh snow. She was quiet in her sleep, only moving to pull the covers or getting closer to him. The cold was being harsh for her, Jon supposed. She had fallen asleep with her forehead pressed to his chest as Jon rubbed her back gently.

Arya liked to test the limits of his honor and desire in a maddening way. At least she seemed to trust Jon well enough to accept him in her bed without fearing what he might do to her once they were alone. Although he wanted her and had dreamt about how it would be to have her as his, Jon never tried to take any advantages on her.

They would be married soon and when it happened there would be no questioning about the legitimacy of their union. Jon would prove himself to be a man, not a beast.

It was almost morning when he left the tent, already feeling the pain the preceded his changing. He nearly crawled to the outside, looking for a place to hide, as the metamorphosis approached. He tried to not wake her up, all to no avail. It didn’t take much for Arya to get out of the tent to follow him.

She found him at near the camp, on his knees and breathing with difficulty. The sound of his bones breaking and bending into the shape of a wolf should have been enough to scare her back to the tent, but Arya remained by his side the whole time, only keeping a safe distance from him to avoid accidents.

When it was all over, his massive wolf body felt to the ground, too tired to even move. Only then Arya came closer and sat by his side despite of the cold. She caressed his head while Jon tried to recover his breath as the pains soothed. For a brief second he almost believed that death had come for him as he had wished so many times after every change.

If that was death, he was more than content with his destiny. He had died by her side and felt her caresses. He had been for a second a normal man.

“You’ll be fine soon.” Jon heard her voice gently talking to him like the promise of a good dream. He wished he could talk back. He wished he could thank her for that kind lie. “We will find a way out of it; out of this curse. There will be no more pain then…” She said it with the solemnity of a vow. “Although, I prefer you this way. I always liked wolves…They are the symbol of my House and I guess I liked them because of Old Nan’s stories about this wolf prince hiding in an Ice Castle. Never tell a child fairy tales. They usually fall in love with them without knowing how painful the truth behind it is.” At the sound of her voice, Jon finally slept.

He must have dreamed of that scene, Jon concluded once he woke up inside the tent. He looked around and Arya was nowhere to be found.

Jon got out of the tent to search for her among the wildlings. A hush of panic took him all of a sudden. Those were his friends, but most of them didn’t know Arya or what she was to him. It was with great relief that he found her sitting with a group of spearwives that were sharpening knives and arrows.

“Fear not. She is quite safe.” Jon heard Mance’s voice by his side. The King Beyond the Wall sounded tired. “She is rather peculiar to a lady. I saw her once at her father’s table. She was still a child back then, but no less spirited than she is now. I don’t care for southern politics or your claim, Jon. I don’t care about the Starks either, but when the heiress of Winterfell comes to us personally and offers friendship, we have to listen to what she has to say. Winter is coming again and when it does we will need all the help we can get, so I’ll do something I don’t like to do. I’ll gamble. We will fight for you and your girl as long as you honor the promise made. We will put a fucking crown upon your ugly head, if her banners fight along with us.”

Jon nodded with his head gently in agreement before he walked toward Arya just to make sure she was fine.

At the sight of him, Arya put the weapons down while some of the women raised from their sitting places and others pointed their blades at him. They weren’t usually scared of his presence, but Jon guessed he might have startled them.

“He won’t bite you.” Arya told them kindly. “He just wants to make sure I haven’t tried to escape him again.”

Arya rose from her sit to look at him properly.

“I gave you my word, hadn’t I?” She said in a firm tone. “I’m not going anywhere, so stop following me like a shadow.”

Jon turned his face away from her out of embarrassment and Arya laughed at it. Something seemed to be out of place and he could feel it in his bones. She was acting far more lightly near him, almost in an affectionate way that didn’t match her professed distaste do the idea of marrying him. For a brief second Jon allowed himself to feel hope, even if his instincts told a different tale.

Arya was likely playing with his feelings for her. She was touching the edges and measuring his reactions to learn how far she could push him and the sad part was that Jon was allowing her to do so because it felt good. He was allowing because he craved for her care.

During the rest of the day he had just observed her interacting with the wildlings. At some point he had to agree that by locking her up inside the castle, Jon had deprived her of any happiness. She was a free spirit and she needed to be surrounded by people. What a fine queen she would be. If he had his father’s talent for music he would have composed songs in her honor.

Jon went out on a short hunt after he was convinced that Arya would be fine. He only returned a few minutes before his change, preferring to hide inside the tent were his clothes waited for him. Arya showed up when he had just got properly dressed.

“Here you are!” She said in a joyous tone. “Mance had agreed to fight for us! Isn’t it splendid?!”

“Indeed.” Jon answered simply. “He had told me earlier. As it seems, we have an army, my lady. We should go back to the castle so your banners can be summoned.”

“So soon?” Her voice sounded disappointed.

“I told you this would be a short trip. We should go now. I thought you would like a nightly ride.” Jon insisted, although it pained him to deny her such a small pleasure. “I know you like it here, but we must be prepared. Soon they will all be at the Wall and you will be able to talk with your new friends again.”

“It has been a while since I’ve been around people.” She answered while shrinking her shoulders lightly.

“Soon you will be surrounded by the mightiest army ever assembled in Westeros’ history. I don’t want you to be exposed to this cold more than the necessary. I’ll be happier to see you somewhere warmer.”

“Fine. I guess it’s about time for me to go back to my cage.” Arya answered bitterly.

“It won’t be long now. Another month and we will march to Winterfell.” He answered gently. “I’ll give you back your home.”

In half an hour they were ready to go despite of Mance’s protests. Jon didn’t want to waste another second. Once they were back to the Wall the Stark’s banners could be summoned and as soon they were reunited Jon would seal his deal with Arya. The sooner they had an army, the sooner they could claim their birthrights.

Arya rode by his side quietly, all wrapped in furs to keep her warm during the night. It was infuriating to see her shutting him of once again, as if all warmth had vanished from her once more.

“You don’t need to come after me when I’m going through the change.” Jon finally broke the silence. “I can get out of control and hurt you in the process.”

“You got out of the tent. I was worried.” She answered simply.

“Thank you for your concern. Although you put yourself in needless danger, I appreciate your kindness.” Jon’s voice lowered a bit.

“Would you let me alone if I were in pain?” Arya asked harshly.

“Never, my lady.” His answer came immediately.

“So don’t expect me to do the same.” She replied defiantly. “You are my partner in this terrible business of war. I need you to be as strong as you can and loneliness can be a terrible wound. Father used to say that when the winter comes the lonely wolf dies, but the pack survives. You are my pack and I am yours, for now.”

“And I am honored to have you as my mate.” He paid her a discreet courtesy.

It took them a couple of hours to reach the Wall. Sam was waiting for them at the gates with a nervous smile.

“Calm down, Tarly.” Jon said to him. “Go put your ravens to good work. I want all of them sent to the Stark’s banners by tomorrow. Mance will fight for us.”

“Terrific news! I’ll go at once!” Sam answered with enthusiasm. “There’s food waiting for you upstairs. I trust that a warm meal would be welcome.”

“Thank you, Sam.” Arya thanked graciously while getting down from her horse.

“Would you come with me first, my lady?” Jon asked her before she could take the path back to the tower. “There’s something I would like to show you.”

Arya simply nodded and followed him silently. It was probably a bad idea to take her to his personal refuge, but at least once Jon wanted to share something that was important to him with her.

He opened the door of the glass garden and let her in. What Arya would think of that place he could not tell for sure, but the smell of the winter roses was sweet and heavy in the air, while they bloomed in a pale blue beauty. Arya looked at his private garden with wide eyes full of surprise and delight.

“What is this place?” She asked in awe.

“A glass garden almost like the one you had at Winterfell, according to Benjen.” Jon answered proudly. “He idealized this place so we could grow vegetables even during the winter, but I must admit that I turned it into a place for my pleasure. Benjen brought me the roses because they were my mother’s favorite.”

“Father would always take winter roses to her tomb.” Arya answered kindly. “I used to pick them up for him every now and then.”

“I like the smell of them. I was told that my mother had a vase filled with them by her bed side the day I was born. The memory of it might have stick in my head.” Jon sighed. “Winter roses started a war and these bloomed the night I found you.”

“What does it mean?” Arya asked suspiciously.

“I don’t know, but I do appreciate the cyclical nature of this fortunate coincidence.”

“There is some poetry in this.” Arya agreed with him. “Both a good and a bad omen to start a war.”

“I don’t think so. I’m not considering the war, not now at least.” He lowered his head a bit. “You have changed me in a way. My life is…Happier. I consider the roses to be a good omen. They mean that something beautiful can grow in this frozen waste.” Jon turned his head to face her. “It terrifies me a bit…To get out of this place for the first time in my life and actually fight for everything that I ever wanted. You are insufferable at times, but you have a courage that astonishs me.”

“You could have done it a long time ago. My father would have done what is right, no matter how much it would have hurt him.” Arya ignored his feeble attempt of compliment. “You never needed me for this. You just needed to get out of this comfort zone you created.”

“How come that you are always the reasonable one? I thought women to be sentimental and inclined to romance before I knew you.” Jon smiled bitterly. “I wish I had half of your pragmatic and brave nature in me.”

“Romance is meant for songs and tragedies. I guess I had enough of both.” Arya answered in a practical way. “I suppose that I owe you now. You are acting upon your promise and for that I’m grateful.” Jon smiled more openly at that. “I wish to give you something as a token of my gratitude.”

“What is it?” He asked suddenly feeling his heart beating faster. Arya lowered her gaze for a brief moment before looking at him in the eyes.

“A dance.” She answered calmly and almost indifferent to his feelings. “Your first royal ball, Your Majesty.”

“Would you give me the honor, my lady?” Jon asked while offering her his hand.

Arya took his hand with a hint of uncertainty. His gloved hand fell to her waist, bringing her body closer to his before Jon could gently sway at the sound of an imaginary tune, conducting her as they had come out of a fairy tale. Jon took a deep breath as he thought about his father, singing sad songs to Lyanna at Harenhall. He thought about the stolen kisses and love promises that were never fulfilled as Arya rested her head against his chest.

He had never been so close or so open to anyone, and yet there he was…Willing to make all the love promises and learning to sing sad songs.

One day he would dance with her before his whole court. There would be crowns upon their heads as the music filled the air. The world would know that every step he gave toward the Iron Throne had been for her. When they told stories about his reign, they would say that it all started because of that girl lost in the snow.

“I never had the chance to dance with anyone before.” Jon finally confessed. “Benjen insisted that I should learn how to do it, but…I never got the chance to dance with a girl.”

“What a sad thing.” Arya muffled a laugh. “You danced with Sam then?”

“Sometimes.” She laughed harder.  “I danced with myself. Eventually they brought me a doll made of broomsticks to practice.”

“How do you find the experience?” She asked.

“Most gratifying.” His answer was sincere.

“I had lessons to, but I wasn’t very good at it.” She said. “You are the first one to take me to dance without being paid for it.”

“You dance beautifully.” Jon whispered to her.

“I already told you that you are a terrible liar.” Arya smiled at him.

“One day you’ll see that I have never lied to you.” He caressed her hair gently. “I really think everything you do to be beautiful.”

“I don’t believe you, but it is good to hear it anyway.”

They remained in silence for a while. Maybe it was the smell of the roses, or the sound of their hearts beating together that made him feel different. His mind had never been so quiet and his senses seemed to be partially dormant, as if the beast within him had been put to sleep.

There was this old legend…That sentimentalist folly about curses. True love would always set the cursed ones free. Jon had never believed or encouraged such thoughts until that night. For the first time he could feel it running thick in his veins and intoxicating him. His constant anger had turned into contentment…A gentle flow of happiness.

It was how it felt then? It was that what they called love? That sudden silence and overwhelming vulnerability? The only thing he wanted was a day of peace by her side. A day in which he wouldn’t have to worry about hurting her, or being abandoned. A day in which they would be surrounded by their children as his hair started turning grey and Arya acquired smiling lines around her eyes.

“Why so quiet?” She finally asked him.

“I’m trying to think about a way to tell you something.” He confessed.

“I already know that you turn into a giant wolf every morning. I doubt that anything can shock me.” Arya said in a carefree way.

“Do you think you could learn to love me one day?” He asked sadly. “Do you think you could…Feel the same way I feel about you?”

At that question the magic in that moment was shattered. Arya pulled him away, imposing a decent distance between their bodies, as if she was somehow afraid of him.

“You do know how to ruin everything.” She accused and Jon noticed that there were tears in her eyes.

Arya turned her back at him and left the glass garden, running back to her room as Jon felt his heart being broken by her rejection.

Love…

How could anyone love a monster?

After that night on the glass garden Jon had vanished from her sight, not even requiring her presence during their daily dinner meetings. Suddenly her life became a boring again, with her only distractions being restricted to her practices in sword fighting and military tactics with Gren, and politics with Sam.

Of course Jon was the one to blame for their sudden awkwardness. Arya had been very clear about her participation on their agreement. She would marry him for political reasons and that was all. The fact that Jon was somehow attracted to her was supposed to work on her advantage, since he would be more inclined to help her to reclaim her home and get her revenge, but Arya had realized, probably too late, that their dynamics had changed.

He wanted more than what she was prepared to offer. Arya growled with frustration while examining her belongings and noticing how much effort Jon had employed in making her comfortable and somewhat happy. Everything she had now had been given by him, even her life. It should have been obvious to see that her royal cousin would demand something in return even if he was too damn honorable to actually command her to love him back.

He chose to ask her if one day she would be able to return his feelings instead and it had sounded like a trap.

That was it. Arya had ignored the obvious for too long, choosing to believe that she could get rid of him once the curse was broken only to understand that Jon didn’t want her because of any advantages she could give him to minimize his physical limitations. He wanted her for far less convenient and level headed reasons.

Arya had locked herself in her room that night and cried her heart out for concluding that she had played that game and she had lost. There was no way out of that marriage in which both of them could survive and Jon would never let her go without a tremendous fight in the process.

Truth be told, even if she was to run away again Arya knew that it would break his heart and at this point she actually carried about him enough to not want him to suffer. He was her friend somehow and she even could admit to like him to some extension, but not enough to envisioning a life by his side.

The wildlings started to flock around the Wall. Arya could see them from the top of the Wall, whenever Sam took her to keep quantify them and keep the records updated. During those moments, she could often spot Jon among them, either in his wolf form or the human one as if he had always been a wildling himself.

Soon she wouldn’t feel so outcasted, or so Arya hoped. The birds had already flown south to summon the Starks banners to fight for her and in less than a month she would have her own army. In less than a month she would have to pay the price for her revenge.

“It won’t be long now.” Sam said amiably as if he could read her mind. “Soon we will be marching.”

“What the men think of this perspective of a fight?” Arya asked him carefully.

“Truth be told, we have been dreaming of this day long enough, my lady. With Jon on the Throne, we all have the chance of a new and legitimate life.” Sam said with a gentle smile. “For years we have come here seeking refuge and pardon for our sins and Jon never looked down at any of us. Once he is crowned, there’s actually a chance for us to go back to our families or craft a new life under his command. A good life as soldiers, builders, artisans, or whatever the gods had fashioned us for.”

“I suppose this is the break of chains one way or another. What would you become in this new world, Sam?” She asked gently.

“I would like to be his friend and counselor as I always have been. He is very much like a brother to me.” He answered cheerfully. “I could finally have a house for me and Gilly.”

It was hard to ignore the weight his words on her. It wasn’t only Jon’s heart she had to consider in her plans. Arya had a great deal of responsibilities over those men’s lives and future prospect as well.

She looked at the wildling camp once more with a great deal of apprehension. Now that she was so close to get what she wanted, Arya started to fear what the gods might still have in store for her.

Her eyes saw something off in the snow. Something she had never seen until that moment. A small cart pushed by a man that was big enough to pass for a small giant and in the cart someone covered by several furs.

“What is that?” Arya pointed at them cart. “Do you know them?”

“I have never seen them before, my lady. They must be member of some consequence among the wildlings asking for an audience.” Sam suggested. “They are coming our way.”

They went down the Wall to learn who those men were and what they wanted. When they finally got to the gates, the new visitors were already inside the courtyard waiting for someone. Gren and Pyp came straightly to her as if they had just seen a ghost.

“My lady!” Gren said while trying to recover his breath. “There’s someone demanding to see you.”

“Demanding? Who is this and where is Jon? If someone is demanding an audience with me I’m sure he should be present.”

“I don’t think it would be entirely welcome for Jon to be near, My lady.” Pyp insisted. “The man claims to be your brother. Lord Brandon Stark.”

“What?” Arya’s eyes grew wide.

That information hit her like a punch. Arya felt all at once; the happiness, the hope and the sudden fear that this man was nothing but a lie, and the fear that if Bran was indeed alive he would frustrate her plans.

She walked toward those men with weak knees and her heart beating like a drum. Arya soon noticed that the girl she had been at Winterfell would have run to her brother with despair and open arms, but that girl was dead. She had finally become a lady despite of her best efforts and lack of ability. She was about to become a queen, with men under her command and trusting her judgment. She needed to be respected and feared. She was Arya Stark of Winterfell.

Arya’s eyes immediately recognized the tall man who was pushing the cart. Despite of his mighty constitution, he looked at her with simple eyes and a simple smile that reflected a simple mind.

“Hodor.” He said to her. The only word he ever learned. Her eyes lowered to face the man sitting inside the cart. A pale and slender figure, with his brown red hair covered with dirt and once blue and joyous eyes were now darker. He smiled lightly at her.

“It’s good to see you again, sister.” Bran spoke with the voice of a man.

*****

He was informed that Arya had spent the afternoon in the company of a mysterious cripple man, who was served by a simple minded giant, that had identified himself as Brandon Stark.

As soon as he changed into his human form, Jon went back to his chambers while trying to decide if he should speak with Arya or her said brother first. Brandon Stark was supposed to be dead for all that he knew, but since Arya has indeed talked with that man, Jon could only conclude that Lord Stark was alive and capable of ruining all of his plans to reclaim Winterfell and take the Iron Throne.

He would have to talk with Arya later. First Jon needed to know what Brandon Stark wanted and how his ambitions would affect Jon’s previous arrangement with Arya.

Jon found the said Brandon Stark waiting for him at his private study talking with Arya in what could only be described as friendly and emotional terms. The boy couldn’t walk and remained sit inside a cart covered with furs to keep him warm. He looked at Arya with affection while holding her hand.

That sight made Jon angry for no apparent reason. Perhaps it was the fear that Brandon would forbid his plans of marrying Arya to go on, or even his Targaryen blood giving him reason to feel jealousy from the affection between brother and sister.

Brandon looked at him with curiosity and unsettling wisdom.

“You must be my royal cousin.” He said courteously. “It’s an honor to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty.”

“The pleasure is all mine, my Lord Stark.” Jon answered as courtesy demanded.

“Sister, would you be so kind to leave us for a while? I have much to discuss with His Majesty.” Brandon asked and Arya looked toward Jon as if she didn’t know what to do. He wondered how this sudden appearance affected her.

“Sure. I’ll come back later for dinner.” She answered before living without looking at Jon a second time.

Once they were alone in the room Jon took his usual sit before addressing Lord Stark directly.

“It is a great joy to know that you are alive, my lord.” Jon started and Brandon looked at him as if he doubted every word.

“No, it is not.” He answered soberly. “I’m not a fool, Your Majesty. I know exactly how badly my sudden appearance can damage your plans of war and conquest. I wouldn’t be surprised if you decided that keeping me alive was against your best interests.”

“You are my cousin, Ned’s son…I loved your father a great deal to ever consider such a thing.” Jon answered firmly.

“So my sister told me. You have my father’s honor as well and for that I’m grateful.” Brandon replied with resignation. “I’m not here to be your enemy or to oppose to your plans to claim the Throne. If anything I should be as smart as my sister and side with the only man that would help me to assemble the northern army and claim back Winterfell.”

“This plan is already in motion.” Jon replied soberly. “I promised Arya revenge and I usually fulfill my promises.”

“That much I could see, but I’m not my sister and we both know that accordingly to the law I am the heir of Winterfell, not her. You might wonder how it could change your plans.” Brandon suggested.

“I have a deal with her, not with you. I promised her an army and help to claim back her home and I have fulfilled my part in the agreement.” Jon answered back. “I will take Winterfell, but who will keep it is for both of you to decide.”

“And I assume that Arya has yet to pay the price for you generosity.” Brandon stated. “I’ve heard her. Why should she pay the price? I’m worried, Your Majesty. I came here in answer to her distress and I can’t help to fear for her.”

“How so? I’ve been nothing but patient, kind and honorable toward her.” Jon started to feel the anger boiling within him.

“I have to consider that if you are not successful in this war and my sister is married to you, it would be death for her as well. I wouldn’t have an heir to take my place and she would pay a dear price for your ambitions. My father certainly never wished for one of his daughters to become another victim of this curse, especially not Arya.” Brandon insisted. “Besides, I believe she doesn’t want this union.”

“So you want me to reclaim Wintefell, but you won’t give me anything in exchange.” Jon concluded. “How dare you to come here?!”

“I’m not ignoring the prospect of a match between you and my sister. I’m simply suggesting that this marriage should only take place once you conquer the Iron Throne.” Brandon pointed out. “I will finance your campaign. I will give you the North and the Riverlands. I am bound by honor and blood to do so, but I’m trying to consider my family’s future as well. We might not succeed in this and I don’t want Arya to be involved any more than she already is.”

“You talk about keeping your heiress safe, my lord.” Jon said angrily. “What about my heirs? I have none. If I die in battle, my lineage dies with me. She had already done too much and gone too far. No matter how good your intentions might be, Arya won’t be safe.”

“No, I suppose she won’t, but what do you say about the possibility of any child she might give you to be born with the same curse? I barely know you, but I trust you to be a decent man. Think about my current position and answer me with honesty. Would you allow your sister to be exposed to such a risk?”

“I see. It’s my condition the true problem.” Jon tried to conceal how much those words have hurt him. “Would you change your opinion if Arya accepted me the way I am?”

“I’m not foolish to forbid my sister of doing anything or commanding her to do as I say.” Brandon answered with a hint of sarcasm. “She is willful and father had always favored her no matter what. Anything denied to her soon becomes her heart’s greatest desire and I do recognize that Arya is a fighter. She would never stop until she has what she wants. If she tells me that she wants you, than I would be powerless to stop her, but until then I’m acting upon my sister’s best interests.”

“Very well.” Jon rose from his sit before he could hit the feeble and crippled man. “We shall speak of it on another occasion, but believe me when I say that I’m as much of a fighter as Arya is and I won’t rest until I see my terms fulfilled. You are welcome to stay with us. I’ll have a room prepared for you on the ground floor and someone to help you with any needs you might have.”

“Thank you for being so concerned about my disabilities.” Brandon’s voice sounded bitter.

“I know how it is to be different and have special needs to be taken care of. I don’t usually frown upon a man for baring them.” His voice sounded harsh. “Excuse me. I have other business to attend to.”

Jon left his private study feeling to angry to even consider looking at Brandon’s face a second time. He wanted to punch or kill something with his bare hands for being so humiliated.

That was it. His plans of conquer the life he had always dreamed of had been reduced to ashes thanks to Brandon Stark and his so called worries for his sister’s life and well being. Lord Stark would take Arya away from him and sell her to another suitor. Probably a rich and strong one that could give her perfect children.

His only chance of still getting what he really wanted rested on Arya’s hand. If she wanted him for her husband, than Brandon wouldn’t be able to stop them. That was a sweet dream, a folly. She had made it quite clear how badly she wanted a way to escape that marriage and now the gods have granted her this. That woman was a witch; there was no other explanation for such a timely solution to her distresses.

Jon went straightly to his refuge at the glass garden, seeking for a quiet place to think and lick his wounds like the dog he was. He had never felt so inferior before. He had never been so humiliated by anyone.

To his surprise Arya was sitting by the winter roses when he got to the glass garden. She had just been reunited with her brother and Jon supposed it was a cause for happiness, but Arya didn’t seem as content as she should be. In fact, she seemed to be worried.

“I’m sorry. I hadn’t realized that this place was already occupied.” Jon said before turning his back at her.

“Wait!” She called him back, making him stop almost immediately.

“What do you want?” He asked angrily. “Aren’t you happy? You have your family back and you are free from your promise to me. Everything that you have always wanted is now in front of you, my lady. Why aren’t you smiling?”

“Mind your tone with me.” Arya replied boldly. “I don’t know what sort of thing might have possessed you, but king or not you owe me respect.”

“I don’t owe you anything! I gave you home, shelter, food, comfort, respect, education and everything that I had so you could have your revenge!” Jon punched a table near him out of anger. “Everything I’ve done so far is for the sake of your happiness and you have despised me from the start! Now it’s too late for me to stop the wheel, but you have found your way out of our contract! I’ll fight for you. Gods! I may even die for you in this war and you’ll never see me as a worthy suitor to your hand!”

“What in the seven hells are you talking about?! I have been loyal to you since we reached an agreement! I have been grateful to you for everything you did!” Arya tried to defend herself without much success. “I may die in this war as well and I knew it from the start, so would you please be so kind to actually explain me this nonsense you are babbling about?!”

“You are free.” Jon answered as if he had finally given up any expectations and dreams of ever conquering her heart. To say those words cost him half of his youth, while he felt his eyes burning with the weight of the unshed tears. “Your beloved brother doesn’t want you married to a beast, so…Thank the gods. They have heard your prayers.”

“This is ridiculous.” Arya answered in a sarcastic way. “What does Bran know about our arrangement? I have made promises to the wildlings and they see us as one now. This change could put our plans in jeopardy! Bran may be the Lord of Winterfell but he had done nothing so far to fight for our home, while I have put every effort in this conquest. I won’t sit here and wait for him to take all the praises for our efforts or ruin everything I’ve fought for. There are many counting on us for several different reasons and I am committed to this damn cause!”

“I’ve heard you praying at the godswood. I know how much you want a way out of this marriage and now you have it. Don’t even try to deny it.” Jon nearly growled.

“No. I don’t want to marry you or anyone as I have told you about a hundred times, but I will marry you for I’m not half as heartless or inconsequent as you think I am. I’ve made you a promise. I’ve made your men a promise. I’ve made the wildlings a promise and I will fulfill them.” Arya roared at him. “If you ever wondered what kind of queen I would be, now you know. I am loyal to you for everything you’ve done for me. I am as obstinate as you, as capable as you, therefore I am your equal. You still need me as I need you so stop being so stupid. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Don’t you worry about the consequences of this marriage?” He asked in a controlled tone. Actually he was afraid of what she might answer. Did she feel disgusted over the fact that he was only half human?

“What do you mean? I’m fully aware of my position and the implications of my choices.”

“You are not considering that I need an heir.” Jon pointed out carefully. “You are ignoring the fact that I’m not human for half of the time and this is something any children we might have can inherit from me. Your brother was quite emphatic about it and I can’t ignore that he has every right to question it.”

“I have already told you that I like you better as a wolf.” She replied as a matter of fact. “This curse that makes you hate yourself so much doesn’t bother me. Not really. If I give you a litter of wolf pups, so be it. I already think that they would be easier to take care of anyway. You picked me, the worst lady of all times, to become your queen. Nothing of this makes sense, but I guess we are both outcasts in our own way. We suit each other quite fine.”

“Your brother won’t allow you to go on with the plan.” Jon added in a sober tone. “I can’t afford a confront with Lord Stark now. If we are supposed to take the Iron Throne I shouldn’t fight my main supporter.”

“I am your main supporter.” Arya replied sharply. “As for Bran, I’ll take care of him.”

They felt silent for a few seconds, while Jon could barely understand how Arya have changed her mind so drastically. She had never mentioned love or any kind of feelings for him. It was just Arya being a force of nature.

“If I may ask…Why have you changed your mind?” Jon asked her with a hint of melancholy.

Arya came closer to him touching his chest with the intimacy of a lover while her eyes showed the cold determination working within her mind.

“I realized that I have come too far.” Arya answered calmly. “There are many who depend on the success of this plan, including you. That means that I am responsible for both the success and the failure of this plan and I want them to be happy. I want you to be happy as well.”

Jon caressed her face with tenderness and care, holding her cheek in on hand as Arya laid her head slightly to rest on his palm.

“You talk as if you had to sacrifice your own happiness for a greater good.” He whispered to her. “I want you to be happy as well. If you would let me…I could try to make you happy, Arya.”

She remained in her place, looking at him as if she was waiting for his next step. Jon lowered his head to reach her, so their lips could touch and seal for a second time a deal of war in a ferocious kiss. Only this time, Arya answered to his kiss with equal eagerness.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you'll like it and reviews are highly appreciated.


	11. Chapter 11

_ His sister had always been a wild spirit and if Bran had learned anything in his life was that the best way to get Arya doing something was by telling her to not do that thing. She had always enjoyed the games of violent nature and sometimes Bran would wonder if she would have made a better heir to the Stark name than any of Ned’s sons. _

_ Arya had the mind for war, but probably not the heart. She was kind and warm, always quick to make the most unlikely friends. The lowest their births the better for her. Her charisma usually did the trick whenever she wanted anything that was out of her reach and Bran guessed that Jon Targaryen was no exception to it. _

_ The poor old fool. His royal cousin hadn’t understood that Arya had been using him to fulfill her own ambitions, while Jon was clearly eager to prove himself worthy of her affections. Bran could sympathize with him to a certain degree, but he had to be more practical than that. _

_ If Arya had reached that castle out of luck, Bran was convinced that such a happy coincidence was about to play a very important role in their destinies. He had seen too much and heard too much to ignore that it wasn’t a coincidence that a daughter of House Stark had found her way to the heir of House Targaryen. _

_ Maester Luwin used to say that magic had been vanished from their world, or had simply been invented by a creative mind in order to trick the fools. Jon’s very existence proved the old maester to be utterly wrong about it and if fate had decided to reunite two of the most powerful bloodlines of Westeros, than there was little doubt about how strong magic had become once more. _

_“The boy couldn’t see beyond his curse, but now he is willing to fight. Love is a mysterious and dangerous kind of magic in its own ways. The only magic strong enough to turn a quiet wolf into a dragon, strong enough to break the chains we create within our minds.”_ _Blood Raven had urged him to go back to the Wall and play his role in the game. The pieces were aligning in the board but unless he made the right move, Arya would never accept her part._

_ It was already clear to him how much his sister had grown fond of Jon, but Arya was simply too stubborn to admit her feelings for a man that she had turned into some kind of villain in her mind. _

_ If only Arya could see the power in her as Bran could…There was magic in her, an ancient call from the deep mysteries long forgotten, but the North always remembers. They had the blood of the First Men and Bran had witnessed Arya’s strong connection with those strange forces in several occasions. _

_ Old Nan telling her about an Ice Castle…Ned’s reluctance in accepting that one of his daughters might break the curse, and still allowing the old servant to groom her to such a fate. Arya’s ability to seek guidance in the godswood, when Bran could hear her and whisper gently the advice that would change everything. Her courage when confronted with Jon’s wolf form and her indifference toward his appearance. Her capacity of keeping him under control and making him more and more attached to his humanity. The only Stark girl to look like Lyanna, the woman who started it all. He had seen it all through the eyes carved in the heart trees…He had seen everything and more. _

_ The door of his room was opened with fury. Arya came in like a storm. He couldn’t help noticing how much she looked like their lady mother at times, but it was the striking resemblance to Lyanna what really surprised him. _

_ “What do you want?” Arya asked him straight forward with her usual bluntness. She had never succeeded at being a lady, but as a queen she would do just fine. _

_ “What do you mean, sister?” Bran asked her calmly, while he observed how anger and pity crossed her face. _

_ “You talk of cooperation. You praise my capacity of building a strong alliance only to then destroy everything I’ve fought for!” She roared at him. “You are Lord Stark! Claim the praises and glories if you want to, but you can’t fight Jon now and expect him to cooperate when you offer nothing!” _

_ “I thought you had prayed the gods for help…For a way out of a marriage that you never wanted in the first place. I know that everything you’ve done was in order to secure your position and claim back Winterfell, but let me protect you this one time, sister.” Bran said in an attempt to calm her down. “This war will be dangerous and I have no way to know if he is going to survive to see the end of it. I told him he could have your hand if he succeeded in his ambitions. I thought you would be happy to see that I have bought you time to escape.” _

_ “What do you take me for? I have made him a promise in order to have his help and protection. How do you expect him to win when you suddenly take away all his political advantages?” _

_ “Since when you become so aware of your position in this game, sister? I am surprise to see that at least my heiress is a capable one, but you won’t marry him. I promise you that I’ll find you a decent man to keep you safe in due time.” Bran said it as if such a declaration would do anything but fuel Arya’s rage. _

_ “I don’t want another man!” She roared. “Jon is counting on this alliance. He needs it and the only reason you’ll have an army is because I was willing to fulfill my part on this agreement!” _

_ “Do you want the credit for the success of this plan? I have no problems with it, but I won’t allow you to marry him.” Bran insisted. “You told me how unstable he can be. You told me how much you have tried to find a way to break his curse and so you could be free again. I’m allowing you to be free from him and you won’t have to live with the possibilities of your sons being cursed as well. Now tell me, why would you still want to take this man as your husband?” _

_ “I gave my word and that’s enough for you to know.” _

_ “Should I presume that there’s more to this tale that you are not telling me?” Bran teased her. “Are you in love with the beast, sister?” _

_ “Don’t be stupid, Bran.” Arya snapped back. “You have spent almost a year hiding behind the Wall, doing gods know what while I was here, trying to claim back our home with no support at all. If you recover the title and the castle it will be because of me. I won’t bow to your decision just because you came back from the dead.” _

_ “What choices do you have?” Bran challenged her while hoping for Arya’s wild nature to work the trick. _

_ “Crown a king with my bare hands and rise above your rank, brother dear.” Arya replied bitterly. “You can’t stop me from your chair. You can’t stop me without servants to help you. So look at me. Look while I rise.” _

_ Arya turned her back at him without a second thought. He could feel her anger like waves crashing against him as she walked. In another time, in another world, they would never have a conversation in such terms. They usually got along well enough and Arya was probably his closest friend since there was only one year separating them, but Bran didn’t need a friend at that moment. He needed Arya to be what she had been born to be. Not a delicate and shy maiden sitting in a tower; not a docile lady. He needed her to summon her rage and ambition, her wild nature and violent desire to make herself a warrior queen. He needed Arya to break all conventions to become a hero in her own right. _

_ Arya closed the door behind her and Bran could hear the sound of her decision being made. _

_ The queen locked the door. _

_ Xxxxxxxxxxx _

_ She got away from Bran’s chambers as fast as she could. Truly she wanted to cry and she wanted to hurt him somehow. How things have changed so badly between them? She loved her baby brother dearly and it broke her heart to see Bran forever deprived of his legs, but there was no reason for him to stop her now. No reason to reduce her to a position of spectator while her life had already changed so much. _

_ For a moment Arya considered if what she was feeling about Bran’s prohibition was just another side effect of Jon’s curse. Just another way to show how destructive it could be for she had already made up her mind. _

_ Arya closed her eyes and took a deep breath while her mouth was filled with the bitter taste of the treason she was about to commit. _

_ There was no way back from her decision. She hoped Bran would eventually come back to his senses and see that their connection to the Targaryen heir was vital to the success of the plan. The North didn’t have much choice but to follow Jon Targaryen once he was wedded to a daughter of House Stark. The Riverlands and even the Vale would follow him in due time. They had too. _

_ Arya felt a heavy breath close to her neck and the massive presence of Jon in his wolf form. He sniffed her before licking her cheek gently. She tried hard not to laugh at it. It was so easy to like him in his animal form that Arya usually found hard to believe that Jon and the wolf were one and the same. She caressed his furred neck and Jon closed his eyes in answer. _

_ “Like it, didn’t you?” Arya asked and Jon nodded with his head in answer. “Meet me at the godswood tonight. Bring Sam and a few others with you.” _

_ Jon inclined his head a bit as if he was confused. _

_ “Do you want me to marry you, don’t you? I won’t take the risk of our banners getting here and siding with Bran in this matter. You still need me and I’m not willing to be covered by my brother’s shadow.” _

_ Jon lowered his head a bit as if he was considering what she had said. Was he having second thoughts? Arya was so convinced that he wanted her by his side that the idea of Jon giving up his ambitions was just intolerable. _

_ He rubbed his nose against her cheek in an attempt of a caress. _

_ “Bring your cloak.” Arya whispered to him. _

_ Once more he nodded before living her alone. Nightfall was almost upon them and there was little time to prepare everything. _

_ Arya went back to her room in order to look inside the chest for something suitable to a bride on her wedding day among Lyanna’s clothes. To her surprise Arya found an ivory dress, embroidered with silver and gold at the bottom of the chest. Something worthy of a queen, she concluded. For a brief second, Arya considered if that dress had always been there, or if Jon had it made for her all along. _

_ She got dressed without help and tried to make her hair look good. There wasn’t much reason for that kind of worry. There would be no feast and no noble guests to see her marrying her royal cousin, but Jon seemed to be somewhat romantic about his ideas of marriage and he would probably want to see her looking like the royal bride she was. _

_ Arya let her hair fall loosely over her shoulders and back. She looked at her image reflected on the looking glass before grabbing a warm cloak. When Arya went down the tower, Sam and Pip were already there waiting for her with horses prepared to take them to the gods’ wood. _

_ She rode the path silently, while her small sect of witnesses followed her with sober expressions. They were afraid of what she might become. Not that they disliked her, but every one of those men loved Jon fiercely like a brother, therefore they were afraid of how much she could hurt him. She would be responsible for them, she would become their sister somehow and that was just another huge responsibility for her to take. She should be brave for their sake, she should be brave for the sake of her people, for Bran and mostly for Jon. _

_ When Arya arrived at the gods’ wood, Jon was already there waiting for her. His face was sober and absolutely secure, as if some sort of adamant conviction had settled within him. He looked splendid in what Arya supposed to be his regal attires. It was the first time she ever saw him wearing the Targaryen colors and coat of arms. His hair had been combed and his beard cut short. For a second Arya held her breath at the sight of him and his splendorous image. He smiled at her lightly in approval. _

_ Sam helped her to get down from her horse and conducted her toward the short path to the heart tree. Many of Jon’s black brothers were there to witness that moment. _

_ “Who brings this woman here to be married?” Gren asked soberly. _

_ “I, Samwell of House Tarly, steward to her late uncle, Benjen Stark, bring Arya of House Stark to be married.” Sam announced. _

_ “Who accepts this woman in holy matrimony before the old gods and new?” Gren continued. _

_ “I, Jon of House Targaryen, take Arya of House Stark to be my lawful wife.” Sam finally let go of her hand, allowing Jon to take it with kindness. _

_ “My lady, do you take this man to be your lawful husband?” Gren asked her calmly. _

_ “Yes, I do.” Arya answered while trying to keep her nerves under control. _

_ “I take you, Arya Stark, to be my wife.” Jon unclasped his cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. “With this cloak I bring you under my protection and to be, from now on, part of my family. With you I shall share my life, my roof, my very soul. I promise you to be faithful and loyal. I will accept with joy any children the gods might send us. From this moment on, I am yours and you are mine.” _

_ Her heart was beating fast as she felt the weight of his cloak on her shoulders. From that moment on she was no longer a Stark. Jon looked at her with apprehension, as if he was prepared to see her turning her back at him and running away as she had tried before. The girl she had been would have done it without a second thought, but Arya could no longer afford being that girl. _

_ “I take you, Jon Targaryen, to be my husband.” Arya lowered her head and kissed his hands in sign of affection. “With you I shall share my life, my roof and my very soul. I promise you to be faithful and loyal. I will accept with joy any children the gods might send us. From this moment on, I am yours and you are mine.” _

_ “Before the gods’ eyes, I proclaim you man and wife.” Gren announced, making all the black brothers shout in approval. A wave of relief seemed to have taken them all of a sudden while Arya felt her knees weakening. _

_ Before Arya could realized that there was no going back, Jon claimed her mouth in a kiss. _

_ Xxxxxxxxxxxx _

_ For the first time since Arya arrived at the castle she had the chance to eat with the black brother’s. It was a modest wedding feast, but Jon was glad for sharing that moment with his closest friends. _

_ He could hardly believe that moment to be real, but there was Arya, sitting by his side, dressed in ivory and wearing his cloak around her shoulders. Jon was painfully aware that he would have to deal with Brandon Stark in short time, but at that moment there was little Lord Stark could do to change Arya’s fate. _

_ They barely ate at the feast. There wasn’t much time to be spent among the black brothers. In a matter of hours, Jon would turn back into a wolf and that night he wanted to spend every second he could in Arya’s arms. _

_ Jon offered her his hand and Arya accepted it without a second thought. If she was afraid or feeling insecure by any reason, she would never let it show. He had to admit that his little wife was an obstinate and way too proud to ever consider showing to the world any sign of weakness. _

_ They went upstairs, straightly to Jon’s chambers, where his room had been prepared for them. The doors closed behind them and Jon noticed how Arya walked around his room looking at everything with sudden interest. It was the first time he ever allowed her to into that place. _

_ Arya looked at a miniature portrait placed on his study table with curiosity. It was probably the most personal item in his private collection of reliques. _

_ “Whose portrait is that?” She asked eventually. _

_ “My mother’s. I understand that my father had commissioned it after Harrenhall. Benjen told me it’s quite a good one.” Jon answered with sympathy. “Even if you didn’t smell like a Stark…I would have recognized you anyway. Ned used to tell me how much you reminded him of my mother. He was right about it.” _

_ “This dress…Was it hers too?” Arya asked before turning to face him. _

_ “No. This one I commissioned for you when you accepted my offer and Gilly proved to be quite gifted with needles.” Jon confessed with a muffled laugh. “I know it’s silly, but I wanted to see you dressed like the queen that you are.” _

_ “I really don’t understand this romantic nature in you, but I appreciate the gift.” Arya said while sounding a bit nervous. _

_ “Is the room of your liking? I’ll have your things moved until tomorrow. You can change anything you like.” He said immediately. _

_ “It’s fine. Quite cozy.” Arya said while looking at the books piled on his table. “I never knew you enjoyed reading.” _

_ “Sam insists that I should read as much as I can. It’s a window to the outside world.” Jon replied. _

_ “So he told me.” Arya agreed. “I like it here.” _

_ “I’m glad that you like it.” Jon smiled at her. “Are you afraid?” _

_ “Not really.” Arya answered in a sober tone. “I’m a bit nervous, I guess.” _

_ Jon held her hand and brought her closer. He caressed her face gently, feeling the warmth of her skin against his palm. Her smell was a tempting combination of wild flowers and the distinct scent of her arousal. At least he could tell that Arya felt somehow attracted to him, enough to make her smell mouthwatering. _

_ “I won’t hurt you.” He whispered to her close to her ear. “I can smell you, love. It’s reassuring to know that…” He kissed the base of her neck while massaging her nape. “To know that you are at least curious.” Arya closed her eyes when he gave her shoulder an open mouthed kiss. _

_ “Since when you can smell it?” Arya asked out of unusual modesty, making him muffle a laugh. _

_ “Your smell changes every now and then. It’s harder to stay around you when it happens without considering things that a lady would likely label as improper.” Jon couldn’t help feeling amused by her embarrassment. “It’s a side effect of the curse. I can’t really control it.” _

_ “You should have told me before, stupid!” Arya insisted with her cheeks burning bright. _

_ “I don’t think it would have helped. If anything you would only act awkwardly around me and we already had a bumpy start.” Jon pointed. “Besides, I can control myself.” _

_ “There’s anything else you haven’t told me?” Arya asked carefully. _

_ “I never thought I would like see you embarrassed, but I like it when you blush.” He smiled at her and Arya smiled back. _

_ Without a warning Jon kissed her mouth, holding her by the nape while Arya slowly allowed the kiss to become more intimate. Their tongues danced around each other while Arya threw her arms around his neck and allowed her fingers to caress his head gently. _

_ For the first time it felt like a real kiss and not a sign on a contract. He had waited for that moment patiently. He had ignored his urges and done everything in his power in order to make her see that the only thing he wanted was to make her happy. He couldn’t tell if Arya believed him to be so selfless, but at least she seemed to have accepted his offer. _

_ Jon slowly unlaced the knots of her gown without letting go of Arya’s mouth. He had dreamed about that scene countless times before and craved for the sensation of her skin pressed against his. In a matter of seconds the gown fell from her shoulders and living Arya only with her undergarments. _

_ She was the one to break the kiss. Arya tried to cover herself again, in a shocking display of modesty, but before she could do it Jon held her wrists to prevent it. _

_ “Let me look at you.” He asked gently while conducting her hands to place them over his chest. “You can do the same to me if you want.” _

_ Arya nodded briefly before unbuckling his belt and helping him out of his heavy tunic and shirt. She looked at him carefully, as if measuring if the sight of him half naked was pleasant or not. Arya touched his naked chest and traced the lines of his abdomen, making him shiver under her touch. _

_ Jon claimed her mouth once again while Arya scratched his back mercilessly. He held her by the waist and raised her from the floor. Arya enlaced his middle section with her legs in order to keep balance while Jon carried her clumsily to his bed. _

_ He laid her carefully and took a moment to look at her. Her hair forming a dark halo around her head and framing her pretty blushed face. He climbed the bed and caressed her face before kissing her neck. She laughed a bit, probably because his beard was tickling her. Her arms embraced him as her hands touched every inch of his exposed skin. _

_ His kissed went down her neck, shoulders and breasts. Jon took her hard nipple into his mouth, licking it lightly and giving gentle suck to it that made Arya’s body arch under him. She moaned beautifully when he repeated the process to the other nipple, scratching his back and shoulder in answer. _

_ Jon allowed himself to be bold and removed her undergarments, living Arya completely naked. He touched her sex with the tip of his fingers, rubbing her moisture folds and the little bud above her entrance. Arya bit her bottom lip in an attempt of controlling the sounds of pleasure that escaped her mouth. _

_ Two fingers slid inside her, moving in and out and making Arya close her eyes and allowed a long moan to escape her lips. Jon couldn’t help a satisfied grim. Jon licked his fingers with utter satisfaction while Arya tried to recover her breath. _

_ Jon made a trail of open mouthed kisses all the way down her belly. He circled her bellybutton with the tip of his tongue while Arya’s fingers grabbed his hair. He separated her legs and placed each one over his shoulders. _

_ “What?” Arya looked down to face him. _

_ “Just relax.” Jon answered her with a grin. _

_ First he kissed her, sucking at her sweet cunt and making Arya hold her breath. Her mouth was slightly open and eyes shut while his tongue worked on her, savoring her pleasure in an intimate way. He wanted the whole castle to hear them. He wanted to Brandon Stark to understand that Jon would never give up and Arya belonged with him. _

_ The muscles of her legs suddenly contracted as the pungent taste of her pleasure invaded his mouth as the ultimate proof of her surrender. _

_ Jon allowed her to rest for a few seconds while he removed what remained of his clothes before going back to her arms. He tried to position his body between Arya’s legs, but she rolled over him, inverting the positions and sitting on top of him. Jon looked at her with mesmerized eyes as she lowered her upper body just to kiss his lips. _

_ As she kissed him, Jon took the time to grab and scratch her legs and ass, to feel her flesh with his rough hands, trying hard to not giving into her endless and merciless teasing. Her hair brushing against his face and shoulders while her ass rubbed against his erection, making it almost impossible for him to resist the impulse of taking her. _

_ Once he got tired of her teasing, Jon rolled over her, keeping Arya’s body pressed against the mattress. He entered her slowly as his eyes looked at her face with full attention. Arya closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip again as her body resisted the sudden intrusion. _

_ Jon kissed her neck as his hips started to move gently, allowing her to adjust and enjoy the moment. Arya held him, tracing his back with her fingers as the rhythm increased. Her left leg rested above his ass, allowing him to go deeper while Arya whispered small commands like “faster” and “harder” along with signs of approval. _

_ Jon could tell he was too close to his own climax when he felt Arya’s muscles contracting around him once more in what could only be described as a powerful wave of pleasure. She threw her neck back as he kept the rhythm to make her climax last as much as possible, until he reached his own peak. _

_ He remained motionless for a few seconds, while he tried to recover his senses and breath. Jon vaguely registered Arya’s light kisses on his face and lips. Jon rolled to his side of the bed. It didn’t take long for Arya to rest her head against his chest. Jon stroked her hair gently. _

_ “And now our war begins.” She whispered. _

_ “Or our reign.” Jon corrected her. _

_ “Are you afraid?” Arya asked while drawing invisible patterns on his chest. _

_ “Yes.” Jon confessed. _

_ “Good. That means you are not stupid.” Arya declared soberly. _

_ “Are you afraid?” Jon returned her the question. _

_ “I am, but not for the same reasons you have.” Arya answered lazily. _

_ “Tell me your reasons.” Jon said with the intimacy of a lover. _

_ “I’m afraid of what will happen if we survive this. I’m afraid of looking at the mirror and see someone I don’t know anymore.” She replied with honesty. “I’ve betrayed my brother…How many I will betray until we have crowns resting on our heads.” _

_ “I’ve betrayed your father and everything he wanted me to be. I dragged his beloved daughter into my personal hell. I defied his son and heir in order to get my war and now…I have claimed you as mine. We will betray, lie and manipulate the whole world if we must, but I promise you this…I’ll never betray you.” _

_ “I guess there’s some irony in this. I hated the trap you’ve set for me. I hated you for taking away my options and suddenly I don’t hate you anymore.” Arya whispered. “I can’t conceive the idea of betraying you. You’ve become my family.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you'll like it and reviews are highly appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this fic on tumblr and it had a great acceptance among my followers, so now I'm publishing it here. I'll post a chapter per week. I hope you'll like it and reviews are highly appreciated.


End file.
